Elaine Chetrit has served as the Director of Family Education at Congregation B'nai Israel since 1985, interrupted by a three- year hiatus from 1988-1991 spent living overseas. Elaine, her husband Juda and their three children Marci, Jonathan and Michael live in Trumbull, Connecticut. Elaine has taught Hebrew to both children and adults for the past 25 years, a majority of those years teaching in the B'nai Israel Religious School. Elaine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Pathology and Master of Science degree in Deaf Education. She continues her connection with the hearing impaired population volunteering in the Bridgeport Schools and teaching prayers in sign language to students at the Religious School.
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At our Passover seders last month, we recalled miracles both large and small. The parting of the Red Sea, Moses’ staff turning into a snake and the ten plagues are just a few of the supernatural miracles spoken of in our sacred texts. These and other such miracles were one way in which the Israelites experienced God’s presence when they were developing as a nation and becoming a people of faith. Although today’s miracles may not manifest themselves in the spectacular ways recalled by our ancestors, they do appear in perfectly natural ways that are none the less extraordinary. God’s miracles continue to guide and help us. We are told that we are made “b’tzelem Elohim” in the image of God, and so we witness miracles in the ways in which people reflect God’s love and compassion.
In February, Marj Krubiner and I were among twenty individuals from the United States and Canada who traveled to Israel on a mitzvah heroes education trip through the Ziv Tzedakah Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to the collection and distribution of funds to various little known Tzedakah projects in the United States and in Israel. Together we visited Mitzvah heroes, or as I see them miracle makers, who through their visions, acts of kindness and service have transformed the lives of all those they have touched.
There was Miriam Frier, a petite dynamo of a woman who founded an independent housing project for adults with severe physical disabilities. Miriam and her supporters have restored dignity to individuals who suffered neglect and indignation in their lives due to their challenges.
AvShalom Beni founded an organization called HAMA (Humans and Animals in Mutual Assistance). Working with social workers and therapists, HAMA uses dogs and cats to help children who have been abused, Holocaust survivors, people with autism, ADHD, those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and more.
The Rabbanit Kapach (pictured) began responding to the needs of individuals coming to her home 40 years ago. Today, in addition to taking care of people in distress daily, she provides Shabbat dinners for more than 60 families weekly and Passover food packages for more than 5,000 households annually.
Yitz Feigenbaum opened a house, Bet HaYeled on Kibbutz Merav for children who were removed by the courts from their homes. At Bet HaYeled, all the love, attention and advantages parents would afford to their own children are given to these children.
Phyllis Heimowitz, impacted by her own personal family experience, started an organization for the Emotional Support of Fiancees and Girlfriends of IDF fallen soldiers. We sat in Phyllis’ living room listening to the heart-rending stories of young women. We all left Phyllis’ house realizing how significant the work of this organization was in helping to strengthen the spirits and bring about healing for these women.
The people I mentioned were just a few of the many mitzvah heroes we met on our trip. Over the course of our 10 days in Israel, we also put together over 400 care packages for Israeli soldiers with A Package from Home. We helped fill a truckload of oranges for Table to Table a food retrieval organization. We did craft activities with newly arrived Ethiopian children at an Ethiopian Absorption Center. We delivered clothing, school supplies, dental supplies, toiletries, letters, toys and stuffed animals to a number of the organizations, many of the items generously donated by B’nai Israel members.
I call Miriam, AvShalom, the Rabbanit Kapach, Yitz and Phyllis miracle makers; however, my interactions with them made me realize that on the surface they are people you meet on the street every day. They would consider themselves ordinary in every way. From ordinary comes extraordinary. B’tzelem Elohim, in God’s image, we all possess the power to make miracles, both large and small.
To learn more about the Ziv Tzedakah Fund and how you can help the wonderful efforts of the organizations Ziv supports, you can go to www.ziv.org.
Elaine Chetrit
Director of Family Education
