It has been an incredibly difficult two days for everyone, the tragedy in Meron taking place miles away geographically still striking close to all of our hearts. Like you, we at Misaskim were shocked as reports began emerging and our members on the ground headed immediately to the staging area where the abundant devastation became quickly became clear.

As the minutes ticked by, the news went from bad to worse as the number of fatalities continued to mount, with talk of American deaths beginning to swirl. By 9 PM the Misaskim command center had been activated, with 10 people fielding hundreds of calls throughout the night, trying to track down who was waiting for a ride home from Meron, who had been hospitalized and who was unaccounted for. As information continued coming out, we sent people to the homes of those we knew who were still awaiting word on the fate of their loved one to give them chizuk in their hour of need, with volunteers going to homes in Brooklyn, Teaneck, Montreal and Cleveland, among others.

The night was punctuated by sighs. Some were sighs of relief from people that we were able to share good news with, telling them the person they were looking for had been located. The others were the sighs of unimaginable pain and grief as we had to tell people that their worst fears had been confirmed and we also gathered the necessary passport information so that official identifications could be made for those who had lost their lives.

Looking to do what they could for the bereaved, El Al graciously offered free flights to those who had lost first degree family members, but interested individuals had to request tickets by close of business – 4 PM Israel time- which was 9 AM here in New York. Realizing that this was an untenable situation, we contacted El Al and explained to them that the cutoff time was problematic because of the time difference and they subsequently agreed to extend their offer later in the day. There are approximately 45 people who will be flying out to Eretz Yisroel tonight, at least 18 of whom will be traveling on those free El Al tickets.

A tearful night that will forever be etched into our memories was just the first step for us. Currently, as multiple levayas are being prepared we are delivering chairs, sifrei Torah, siddurim and other supplies to local shiva homes. And as you read these words, toy packages are being delivered to the new yesomim in our area, a small gesture to remind them and their mothers that Misaskim’s Project Yedid will always be there for them.

At moments like this, there are no words, only tears. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to be there for acheinu bnei yisroel during this terrible time.

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