We wanted to write this letter because we couldn’t help but to express our gratitude towards all of you for everything you did for us!
Receiving us, giving us a place to stay and giving us food is such a tremendous chessed. You had no obligation and you did not even know us! Thank you so much for receiving us with open arms! You didn’t only host us and let us stay by you, but also welcomed us in a loving and caring way. The giant welcome poster, the fruit baskets and specially all those warm smiles completely changed our moods. We went from a state of fear to one of tranquility and comfort. Most of us had never experienced a siren before that day, a lot of us were freaking out and some were even looking for tickets to fly home as soon as possible. Thanks to you, we felt safe, welcomed and cared for, you gave us a second home when we weren’t safe in ours.
That night there were several sirens here in Givat Washington. Thanks to your big hearts that prevented us from being here and living through the traumatic experience of having to run for shelter over and over again.
Experiencing all of this opened our eyes in so many ways. We would always hear about how am Yisrael is united and how everyone is there for each other. Now, this is not something we only hear about, it is something we experienced first hand, we lived it. You really showed us what it means for Am Ysrael to join together in times of need. When we were told we were going to the north, what came to our minds was that nice strangers were opening their doors for us, but when we got there, we realized it was not strangers, it was our loving extended family. Listening to our Rabbi tell us how you insisted that we could stay longer, that we should take food for later, that we were welcome there always, was really meaningful and inspiring. You taught us a lesson of true chessed.
Thank you for opening your home for us. Thank you for making us feel safe. Thank you for being our family in times of need.
The Machon Maayan Students
My Home: Maayan 