April 22, 2008

Dear donor:

No words can thank you enough for your life-giving support of the organization that helps babies like my new son.

I hope my story will explain how each life is a world unto itself – I know I will never forget your kindness.

I came to Israel 6 years ago to fufil my dreams of living in such a special country. I didn’t have much family in the United States. I was a single Jewish Texas girl and have always wanted to live in the culture I had only heard about from relatives. Jerusalem proved to be very tough market to break into financially and jobs were hard to find for new immigrants with broken Hebrew. I married my boyfriend after I had been in Israel 2 years. Stress lead to our divorce a year later and since then we had dated off and on. 

Last year when we worked together, I found out I was pregnant. I was so scared, alone, panicked and well, having a rough time with the idea of having a child unmarried. I didn’t tell anyone especially managers at work. I had just secured a decent job working for an online US real estate hi-tech company and I was moving up. The economy here had taken a dive after the Lebanese war and I was deep in debt from searching for work. My friends at that time said it was normal to just find a clinic to have an abortion or talk to a helpline. 

I found the number for “Lilach” (Be'ad Chaim's counseling office) in an English newspaper and immediately called to find out my options in Israel atlanta mortgage loans. Pressure was so intense at work - my bosses often complained about my co-worker's pregnancy leave due to laws protecting her job. I really needed answers and I didn’t know where to go!

When I called the pregnancy helpline, I immediately felt comfortable with the warm non-judgemental native English voice on the other end. I confided in her my whole story and how I was 35, alone in Israel, with no experience with children, afraid and really looking for just a clinic that could end the pregnancy. 

I didn’t know anything about the organization but I respected the way she was open about the negative affects of choosing abortion. 

I explained that my ex-husband put the choice in my hands  but we both knew a child would be impossible for us to raise at this point – I could barely pay rent! I didn’t know what to do! from the sixth week of my pregnancy and until I gave birth, I called my contact at Lilach with all my issues, to get advice and just to cry “how I was going to do this alone motorcycle insurance?” My reassuring contact listened to me at anytime and helped me through the decision to raise the child alone. Then she walked me through the stress of  being fired from my job, and then being unemployed and pregnant - unable to find work. My contact promised me that I was not alone and that I would have all the necessary items when my baby came home – my baby would not lack for anything.

This gave me unbelievable strength. With the security of knowing my baby would have clothes, a bed and all the items I could never provide. I really pushed myself and found some work here and there, a month before the baby was due. I kept myself afloat and I felt dignity and hope for the baby in my life. Then when my baby boy was born, I arrived home from the hospital greeted by the volunteers at Project Nehemiah (now Operation Moses), which brought to me your card with the gifts that gave me such confidence to continue onwards. The first weeks are tough but knowing I have such support behind me helps me on a daily basis. Knowing I will not lack and have new clothes for my baby was such a salvation dallas investment property! I really thank G-d everyday now. I know when things are tough that I have such gifts and that there are others that care about lives of babies in Israel.

On the 8th day after his birth, at his circumcision in an ancient synagogue in Jerusalem, I named my son Bension (Bentsi or Ben for short) which means “son of Zion”. I feel blessed every day to have a son in Zion. May G-d bless you on behalf of all you do for babies like Bension. May all his lifelong good deeds merit you and your loved ones for supporting such proactive and positive life-giving organizations like (Operation Moses) and Lilach.

Elisheva & Bension

Jerusalem, Israel

April 10, 2008

Bentzi at 4 months