There is a Chassidic woman who lives in Ashdod. She is a Gerrer Chassidic woman who wrote in response to the loss of Eyal, Naftali and Gilad, may their memories be for a blessing. This is an example of the achdus that our nation needs at this time. Rochel Neustadt wrote this heart-felt, poignant piece as a reminder that the Nation of Israel is one nation. Please share this piece.

QUILTED WITH LOVE: A GERRER CHASSID MOTHER’S RESPONSE TO THE LOSS OF OUR BOYS

We are a nation torn asunder.

We are a quilt of beauty unsurpassed; patched and stitched together on one interface of prayer, hope, faith and love.

The Yerushalmi’s gold-stripe, the kibbutz worker’s denim; the Belzer’s black silk, the yishuv’s crocheted yarn; the Gerrer’s fur, the Dati-Leumi’s paisley print – we sewed ourselves as one.

This masterpiece was in the making for eighteen days. Day after day, we stitched as we cried, we stitched as we beseeched, and we stitched as we dared to hope for our boys to come home.

Our quilt stretched over sea and land, reaching all four corners of the earth. From secular San Francisco to Chassidic Stamford Hill; from the unaffiliated in Johannesburg to the frum of Melbourne – no material was ever lacking.

And now, as we reel collectively in our pain, we must look at our work of art and promise – we shall never allow those stitches to become undone, unpicked, unraveled.

We are not a nation torn asunder.

We are a nation, quilted with love, stitched for all eternity with a strength never before known to man.

And with this we bestow ourselves to the families of Eyal, Gil-ad and Naftali with a vow – it has not been in vain.

This masterpiece belongs to you, and we promise to hold the stitches together for all time.

ARTICLE BY 5TJT