December 21, 2010
Dear friends,
I’m sure that you can imagine what a challenging year this has been for me personally and in turn, for my work in Chabad of Midtown, to which our family has dedicated our lives…
To lose my dear brother Nosson in a boating accident in May and in October, again the unthinkable happened when another one of my brothers, Levi, who was only 2 years younger than me, succumbed to a horrible lung cancer that he battled for three years. We were faced with all this heartache only a short time after the passing of my dear father— truly very difficult pills to swallow!
G‑d has a reason for everything and we believe that each of them lived their full Heavenly ordained life spans, but the pain of these losses is so deep and the hole it leaves in my heart, cavernous.
Allowing that energy to remain bitter just stymies growth. How can I, how can we, use that energy and channel it into making our precious community a better place for us all?
The greatest comfort to me, second to bringing them back, which we pray for soon with the coming of Moshiach, would be if we could all band together to use these losses as an impetus for growth and building— If we could use the darkness instead to bring greater light and goodness for our community.
I read a story some time ago which has had a great impact on me. It carries this same theme: comfort only comes by building and continuing one’s mission in life.
As you are aware, Chabad of Midtown has developed and grown tremendously Baruch Hashem over the past few years, resulting in a need for more space to best cater to all of our amazing programs—especially allowing for the children in our school to exert their energy which is a huge part of childhood development. A plan has been suggested to utilize our roof space. We have 2000 sq feet that we can convert into a great roof top patio for the children to play on and for the adults to relax, read or study whenever they might have free time. This roof top area would be called the ‘Levi Play Area,’ as a living memory for the soul of Rabbi Levi Deitsch.
The quotes that we are getting to make this dream project a reality is approximately $100,000. Here’s where you come in! Can I count on you to help me with this project?
We value your friendship and hope that this project will not compromise your ongoing and much appreciated Tzedakah giving. Please help us towards this project, if you are able to contribute in addition to what you ordinarily give-- it really would mean so much to me!
It is people like you with whom we partner to reach our goal of making Chabad of Midtown a welcoming home for every Jew.
We cannot rest until every Jew knows that they have a place to call home!
With thanks and warm regards
Rabbi Nechemia Deitsch
We are gladly able to receive various payment methods of: Stocks, Credit card, Cheque or Cash