Chana Liora Rosenfield

For a PRESS RELEASE or ARTICLE about the WORLDWIDE SHABBAT CHESED in memory of CHANI ROSENFIELD (in English & Hebrew version), that you can send to organizations, newspapers, radio stations, weekly parasha publications, shul lists, e-mail lists, please click here (Hebrew version available).

Please also feel free to forward on the full version of this e-mail.

We got up from Shiva just last week for our special Chani. As many of you know, our 3-year old Chani was diagnosed 1 and a half years ago with Cancer (Stage IV Neuroblastoma). Chani lived a good life and knew how to enjoy and appreciate every moment, with a smile and a laugh at all times. I remember her not only hooked up to an IV pole - but RIDING the IV pole around the hospital with a big smile, making all of the children and parents laugh and bringing joy and chessed to other patients and families.

One person who visited the Shiva recalled a time when he offered Chani a lollipop once in shul on Shabbat. He gave Chani a purple lollipop and she looked up at him and said, "Purple is my favorite color". Lilach, Chani's big sister, then came over and wanted a purple lollipop too, except there were no more purple lollipops, only yellow ones. Chani gave her purple lollipop to Lilach. As Chani took a yellow lollipop, she turned up to him and said, "Yellow is my favorite color".

Chani taught others to appreciate every moment in life. She was so good-natured and happy. On one occasion when she was only 1 and a half, she had to have an IV inserted in the middle of the night. After many tries at stabbing and jabbing to get the IV in and much crying, Chani turned up to the nurse and gave her a kiss. This is who Chani was. She took everything in stride and with a smile, always looking to make others happy.

Also, as my neighbor in Ramat Bet Shemesh told me at the shiva: what gedolim and roshei yeshiva try to inspire people around the world to greater heights of tefilla, chesed and unity, Chani was able to accomplish in her short 3 years.

Many of you have been diligently davening and doing good deeds for Chani's refuah. As I mentioned at the levaya (funeral), please do not stop your tefillot and mitzvot (prayers and good deeds). Chani would have wanted you to keep davening and doing good for her friends, the special sick children in the hospitals around the world.

In a boys school in Cleveland, a teacher gave his students an assignment to complete a portion of Torah and present a siyum to the class. For this special occasion each boy’s father was invited to attend his son's presentation.

The day arrived for David’s time in the spotlight. That morning, David’s teacher reminded David to invite his father to come hear him. David made his beautiful presentation, but the rebbe noticed that David’s father was missing. After the presentation, he approached David and said, “ I told you to invite your father. You couldn’t even allow your father to schep a little bit of nachas!?” Little David turned to his teacher and answered simply, “ I knew that next week is Moishe’s turn to present, and Moishe is an orphan, and he will be the only one without his father there. So, out of consideration for Moishe, I decided I wouldn’t invite my father either, so Moishe wouldn’t be the only one.”

This boy David, in his little way, looked beyond his own Daled Amot, to recognize that another person is in need. In what should have rightly been his moment to shine, David modeled for us the importance of showing great sensitivity towards others. We each are naturally busy with our own everyday challenges of work, family, and well, just, life. The challenge we are each faced with is - how can I overcome all of this and look beyond my own craziness, beyond my own cholent of life, and see how we can make a difference in someone else’s life.

A number of months ago we initiated an effort to try and find little 4-year old Bracha Naomi Mandelbaum a bone marrow match. Bracha Naomi and our Chani shared a hospital room in Hadassa hospital in Jerusalem. Many of you were instrumental in organizing drives, volunteering, raising funds, or just being tested. You looked out for someone else in need. Had you told me that in one crazy and urgent week, we would organize and run 9 bone marrow drives, raise over $140,000, and test close to 2000 people for bone marrow - I would have told you that there was no way - impossible. But together we put our minds to it, and each of us looked beyond our own craziness of life, to try and do some chesed and help someone else in need.

Unfortunately, both Bracha Naomi and our Chani succumbed to their respective illnesses and we tragically mourn their loss, while we cherish the memories of the beautiful children that they were.

The day after we got up from Shiva I received a call of condolences from Eddie Feinberg (Jay's brother) of the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation. If I was not still in Aveilus (mourning), I would have shouted out a Shehecheyanu V'kiymanu V'higiyanu la'zman hazeh. Why? Eddie shared with me the most unbelievable and joyous news: of the close to 2000 people that we tested for bone marrow for Bracha Naomi, we have already found a match for 2 other people. There are 2 other people who have received bone marrow transplants from people we tested, and are walking the world today, enjoying life and their family. What a simcha! I immediately called Shmuli Mandelbaum (Bracha Naomi's father) and told him. I said that symbolically, 1 of the matches is for Bracha Naomi and 1 for Chani. To imagine that just months after the drives, we are already saving lives! And the people tested will stay in the registry until age 60, so there is great potential for saving many more lives for many years to come (though, G-d willing we shouldn't need it).

As I said, the world is a wondrous place, and you never know the impact of your actions.

With this inspiration, I present to you for the first time our newest project. As part of the Shloshim commemorations for Chani, we are initiating a special:

The weekend following Chani's Shloshim (Friday-Shabbat-Sunday July 2, 3, 4th, 14th of Tamuz, Shabbat Parashat Balak), kehillot, batei knesset, bungallow colonies, and camps worldwide will be dedicating the weekend to Chesed (Loving Kindness), in memory of Chani.

This is a chesed lishma project, for the sole purpose of bringing kindness into the world - lishma, also means in her name, in Chani's memory.

Thank you in advance for your initiative and efforts in bringing greater Chesed and awareness of loving kindness into the world, and continuing the teachings of our dear Chani.