This is part four in a series about Shoshanna. I pray after you read it, it will be a reason for her to be able to smile. G-D touched my heart to tell you about her so He could show His love to her in a unimaginable way. You could be a blessing to her because either you have read: “Opened your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land” or because you have read “You did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”. In either case I pray you will be a blessing Shoshanna.

As a young girl Shoshanna spent most of her growing up years in the hospital, one corrective surgery after another corrective surgery after another corrective surgery, for more than thirteen years in all.

Shortly after her forth birthday and her being set on fire by terrorists her parents were advised to leave Morocco and go to Israel. Her father took the advice, sold the family bakery and left for the ‘Promised Land”. They would go through France on their way to Israel and find out that being Jewish in France was no better for Shoshanna and her family then when they were living in Morocco. They made Aliyah and came straight to Sderot to start a new life, well almost.

Shoshanna, once in Israel, would continue to under go skin grafts and corrective surgeries. For Shoshanna whether living in morocco or Israel did not change the fact of the matter that she did not look like the rest of the kids in school.

Only another burn victim could relate to what she lived through, not only as the “new kid on the block” but to be a burn victim as well. With the twelve years of surgeries and recovery time a head of her, coupled with the finger pointing and no one wanting to be around you, her desire and ability to go school were gone and she didn’t go to school.

Today at fifty nine Shoshanna can not read or write. As the soul bread winner of her family she worked long and hard hours cleaning homes, a low paying job and one that did not required reading or writing skills. Elan, her oldest son recalls his father “Never working and mom always working”.

Shoshanna learned well from her father how to bake! Every Shabbat she bake bread for her family, it is the best I have ever tasted…I wonder if she would adopted me! A few months ago most of the Hope For Sderot volunteers when for a day trip as far up north as the train would take us. We stopped in Haifa for lunch and continued our journey to Nahariya for ice cream. For Shoshanna this was the first time she had ever been on a train, not to mention to Haifa or Nahariya. The Volunteers that were able, took care of her expenses. Needless to say she had a wonderful time.

Why is it so important to bless Shoshanna? I can’t tell you why. It has been laid on my heart to tell her story the best I can, hoping and praying all the while G-D would touch a heart or two or ten if necessary to bless this lady who has lived such a hard life, one of always being “Different” and an outcast. She has a dynamite smile, she just needs the ability to show it.

You may ask “Why should I help” well if you believe what the Torah says you know that G-D told Abram in Geneses 12:3 that “I will bless those who bless you” and in Deuteronomy 15:11 He tells us; “For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.” The promises was given to those who bless Abram as well as his seed: in this case that means Shoshanna.

If you believe in the Bible and are a follower of Jesus then in addition to the promise made to those who bless Abram and his seed and the command in Deuteronomy 15:11; you are also familiar with the parable in Mathew 25:40 that concludes “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”: Again Shoshanna falling into this categories as well.

I wish you could spend a day working along side of Shoshanna as she volunteers her time to help other, to know this lady personally, who has lived the life she has lived and maybe then you might see or feel why the desire to bless her is so strong.

To live your life from the age of four with scars from what we today would call a “hate crime” is bad enough but not to be able to smile because you are self conscious about your teeth is another. You can’t do anything about the scars but denture are a doable thing if you will hear my heart, my cry, my plea for you to open your hearts and your ears to the voice of G-D