For Rosh Hashanah we packed up seven hundred and thirty five pounds of apples and pomegranates, bottles of wine, honey and honey cake into two hundred and eighty baskets; wrapped them with some nine hundred feet of plastic wrap. We were able to give gift baskets to those who we give food to each week as well as those who have been injured by the Kassams fired at them by terrorists in Gaza, but praise Ha’Shem do not need help with their daily food needs.

We have been blessed with a group of volunteers that is unbelievably dedicated to the mission of helping their fellow brothers and sisters and doing it only for the joy of serving Ha’shem. Eight of our volunteers came to the moxson and packed gift packages for five and a half hours. Without their dedication we would still be packing gift baskets.

We were able to help Mikael with vouchers from the market, as his home still sits in shambles after the fire that devastated his home a few weeks ago. We were also able to bless the volunteers of Hands of Mercy with food and gift baskets as well. It was a wonderful way to end the year and pray a blessing for a sweet new year.

We have picked up our woodworking tools again as we were asked to help with a new fence that is needed after the old one was torn down to make room for the new bomb shelter.

Seven weeks ago the crew came in, removed the lemon tree, the *** tree and the fence; drilled 4 footings 6 meters deep (18 Feet) and began building foot thick walls and a 16 inch thick roof, installed a widow with a ¾ inch piece of plate steel to cover the glass when ‘Tseva Adom” sounds. Just in passing there have been 6 rockets fired this past week.

With a break for Rosh Hashanah we will continue the project this week and hope to have it done in a few days. This past year we have completed many home repairs; from painting, replacing doors and door locks to fixing kitchen cabinets, bookcases and building park benches and pergolas.The L-RD has given the talent, the tools and it is a joy to use them for his glory and for praise to His name.

We want to thank those who have come along side with us to provide Shoshanna with a new smile. We are still short of a full new smile and are hoping and praying the L-RD will touch a few more hearts.

You may recall, in 1954, at the age of four she was living in Morocco. She was mistaken as being French by Moroccans during those violent years. A group of Moroccans thought they were attacking the French and she was doused with gasoline and set on fire. She spent many years in and out of hospitals and has had many corrective surgeries. She has spent her life looking different and as a child would not go to school because of the taunting she received for the other kids.

She married the first man that asked her in fear that because of her scars there would never be a second chance. Her husband has never worked and she has been the sole bread winner. Most of her life she has cleaned houses or school; a minimum wage job here.

Today she has heart and back problems and wears some type of an external pace maker. What teeth she has are rotted and are painful, which leads to her not smiling. The gift of a new smile, a mouth that no longer hurts is in reality a small thing but for Shoshanna it would be all the reason to smile again. If you would like to help with her new smile please click here.