2022 July Newsletter

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Since our last Gala in August 2021… We maintained our financial support for our families for the Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Passover. Twice a year, each family adopted by our Foundation receives a symbolic check of $180.00 to celebrate the Holidays. We celebrated weddings and births with joy Our adopted families are embraced by our program forever. Adopt a Family Foundation is a true family to its families and follows each member throughout the years. It is wonderful to be able to see these families evolve in a positive way with weddings, births, and bar/bat mitzvahs. We love to share their joy and celebrate these life events with financial gifts. We offered three scholarships of $1,500.00 each We believe in helping the children of our adopted families pursue their dreams by getting the right education. This past year, we offered 3 scholarships – one for a student in mechanical engineering at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; another for a student in film school at the Academic College of Tel Hai; and a third for a student completing her master’s degree in Integrative Education. Additionally, we are helping a couple pursue their law degree. We supported activities for teenagers of Sha’ar Hanegev During the Passover break, we supported activities for 250 teenagers in Sha’ar Hanegev and we are also planning to support summer activities this summer. Due to the on-going Covid situation and the impact of this pandemic on teens, these activities are essential to maintaining togetherness, team spirit and friendship. We sponsored cycling therapy for 15 teens from Sderot for the second time The goal of this program is to reduce the general feeling of stress for teens suffering from PTSD, fear and anxiety because of the high-risk situation of the area. Young children are especially vulnerable to the effects of terrorism on their parents. Parents dealing with their own trauma and anxiety are less capable of calming down their own children who are suffering.  Cycling therapy strengthens the confidence of these teens to spend time away from home in a protected environment and promotes social connections as well as a sense of security. We are grateful that we have been able to support this program and help the children of Sderot. We provided 3 of our adopted family members with 10 art therapy sessions and workshop each Art therapy and other non-traditional therapy sessions have been proven to be very helpful for the members of our adopted families, especially accompanying regular therapy or when the patient doesn’t progress anymore. The art therapy sessions we provided had an important impact on their lives and gave them the right tool to advance through life. We sponsored a weeklong trip to San Diego for Abigail and Odelia Horgen Abigail (23) and Odelia (30) are the daughters of Benjamin and Esther Horgen z”l. Esther Horgen, 52, a mother of six, was tragically murdered by a terrorist while hiking in the Reihan forest, near their home on December 20, 2020. Benjamin gave a heartfelt speech in memory of his wife Esther at our last Gala. When Benjamin arrived in San Diego with two of his sons this past August, he immediately felt that his daughters would benefit from this experience as well. In May, we were able to bring them both here for a weeklong trip. The connection and relationship with Abigail and Odelia were fantastic. It was such an honor to have them here with us, and we are so glad that the trip provided them with new energy and strength. We are sponsoring the remodel of the mechanical engineering’s student lounge at the Tel Aviv University in memory of Tomer Morad z"l Tomer Morad was one of the three young men killed in the terror attack in Tel Aviv, on April 7, 2022. Tomer Morad and Eytam Magini, two friends both aged 27, and originally from Kfar Saba, were at the Ilka bar on Dizengoff Street when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire at the crowded venue. Numerous others were wounded in the attack. There are no words to describe the magnitude of this tragedy. Tomer was a student of mechanical engineering at Tel Aviv University, where he often hung out between classes with his friends in the student lounge. They joked about how run down the place was and what it would take to renovate it. It could not happen under sadder circumstances, but his friends wanted to honor Tomer by renovating the lounge and dedicating it in his memory. Adopt a Family Foundation wholeheartedly wanted to support their effort and sponsored the entire project. May Tomer’s memory be a blessing. All this has been possible thanks to your generous support! We could not be more grateful for it. Please save the date for our outdoor Gala – September 18, 2022 – so that we can keep spreading love, care and support. With much appreciation, The Adopt a Family Foundation Team