[COMMUNICATED CONTENT] Just days to the long awaited drawing of the Bringing Simcha to Life auction, the Mesamche Lev hotline is deluged with calls from people who wish to enter. The calls reflect the tremendous interest the auction has garnered in Jews across the United States. Callers are enthusiastic about the remarkable prizes, bonus packages, and gifts for donations of $250 or more; and many express their wonder at the unique high-ticket items being auctioned.

The prizes include a luxury wedding in the magnificent Ateres Avraham hall, glittering diamonds, and a paint and scrape package. Some of the more unusual offerings include a blue chip stock portfolio, fifty pairs of shoes, and a Yissachar – Zevulon partnership in which the winner earns the zechus of a Torah scholar’s support. This is in addition to other prizes that feature something for everybody. Young couples and grandmothers are tied in their interest in the Baby Package, complete with a Bugaboo stroller, baby furniture, and a stay at a Kimpeturin home. Cheder boys and their parents are putting their hopes on the Bar Mitzva package. And almost everyone is pining for a year’s worth of household help, groceries, or flowers and wine.

But while the prizes are unique, and every entrant hopes to win, there is far deeper meaning to it all. The organization has piqued the community’s interest; and its work has clearly struck a chord in the hearts of the thousands who purchased auction tickets.

As one of the largest tzedakah operations in the world, Mesamche Lev has a direct impact on some one hundred thousand Jews, both in Israel and the United States. Since it was founded in 1971 by the master of tzedakah, Harav Zalman Ashkenazi, zatzal, Mesamche Lev has stayed true to its mission, and alleviated poverty and hunger in countless homes. At this very moment, as preparations on this side of the Atlantic center on the upcoming auction event, Rally in the Raleigh, there are preparations of a different sort underway in Eretz Yisroel.

Mesamche Lev is already preparing for its massive Sukkos distribution, where the organization will distribute meat, grocery coupons, and more to over eleven thousand families. The families, including widows, Torah scholars, and some of the most desperately poor in Eretz Yisroel, have come to depend on Mesamche Lev for their Yom Tov needs. If not for the organization’s largesse, many of the families would make do with the barest necessities; with some forgoing even the “luxury” of chicken for their children on Yom Tov.

The Bringing Simcha to Life auction, which will fund the Sukkos distribution, has introduced the Jewish community to the innovative approach that is a Mesamche Lev trademark. Mesamche Lev is as creative in its giving as it is in its fundraising. The shoe distribution is a case in point. Mesamche Lev

distributes forty two thousand pairs of shoes to children in Eretz Yisroel. Most people cannot fathom just how incredible that number is. To put it into perspective, that is more than the number of seats in Citifield, where New York’s Jewish community gathered for the famed technology awareness asifa last year. Every child at the distribution receives a brand new, top quality, up to date pair of shoes; valued at as much as eighty dollars!

Mesamche Lev also invests much effort in giving with dignity. The recipients are treated with the utmost respect, and are made to feel as if they are privileged customers. This attitude carries over to every Mesamche Lev program. The recipients never feel that they must sacrifice their honor so that they can feed their families. This attitude truly brings simcha to life – and every entry in the Bringing Simcha to Life auction supports this remarkable work.

The auction will also fund this season’s orphan weddings. Mesamche Lev is marrying off over thirty orphans in the coming weeks. Each yasom and yesoma is getting not only a wedding, but also clothing, house wares, and appliances. The budget for the summer weddings is exorbitant. It is something every auction participant should bear in mind. Every twenty dollar entry helps marry off an orphan, and allows the giver the zechus of taking a burden off an almonah’s shoulders. Not coincidentally, one lucky winner will experience the joy of a free wedding, when his or her lucky ticket is drawn at the live auction, at the Rally in the Raleigh.

                Rally in the Raleigh

                The Bringing Simcha to Life auction will come alive at the Rally in the Raleigh, on Monday, July 22, at the Raleigh Hotel in South Fallsburg. The event will be the grand finale of an incredible campaign. Thousands of women are expected to attend, and the hotel administration is preparing for a tremendous crowd, by setting up thousands of seats, and preparing enough hot food, pastries, and drinks for what promises to be an absolutely amazing evening.

As news of the Rally spreads, and details of the program emerge, excitement is gripping bungalow colonies across the Catskills, and as far away as Monsey, Monroe, and beyond. Women are arranging transportation, hiring babysitters, and making whatever plans necessary to ensure that they are able to attend. They will not be disappointed.

The keynote speaker, world renowned Rebbetzin Esther Youngreis, will captivate the audience, with an inspirational address, and a life-transforming message that is certain to touch the hearts of all her listeners. Her speech will be followed by a side splitting comedy and variety show, by a professional performer as yet unknown in the community. A highlight of the evening will be the all-female philharmonic orchestra, complete with a full scale cello and harp. The evening will culminate with the live drawing of the Bringing Simcha to Life auction, and the announcement of the lucky winners. But there is no doubt that every women who comes to the Rally in the Raleigh will be a winner, because she will take home not only memories of an unforgettable evening, but also the great zechus of Bringing Simcha to Life. 

The Bringing Simcha to Life auction will close on Monday, July 22. The entry deadline for phone, mail, and online orders is 5:00 pm. Entries can also be purchased in person at the Rally in the Raleigh. To order tickets, call 877-686-1313; or visit mesamchelev.org/auction. To learn more about the Rally in the Raleigh, or for information about Mesamche Lev, call 718-506-1400.