Our Update # 23
24 Hour Retreat
Dror Hosted a 24 hour retreat for the mothers of the Dror families. The women enjoyed a fun-filled and inspiring program which included speakers, therapists, massage sessions, Yoga Classes, food demos, crafting and more. This retreat gave the women a chance to relax and unwind and gave them renewed strengths to face the challenges of tomorrow. In addition, it provided them the opportunity to connect with, share and get inspired by others who are unfortunately experiencing similar challenges. They returned home a healthier and happier person ready to cope with the role of both mother and father to their children.
To give you just a small feel of what this retreat means to the women, read just 2 of the many appreciation notes we received following the retreat: “Thank you Dror for another well planned, enjoyable and fun outing! It was really very relaxing, rejuvenating and inspiring. Everything was planned so well, down to the last detail.” “Thank You Dror! Thank you again for arranging such a wonderful event. It was so meaningful to spend time with other ladies that are in similar situation and are doing their best to pull through for their children, husbands and themselves. The accommodations and program were incredible-no detail overlooked to give us the koach to recharge to be the strongholds of our homes, in a happy way and with emunah that soon we will all share Besuros Tovos and the Besura that all the Yidden are waiting for, Meshiach, it should be now. Yasher Koach and Tiski Lemitzvos.”
A special thank you to our speakers and entertainers for making this event a success and bringing true joy to these unfortunate women: Special Guest Speaker from Eretz Yisroel R’ Yosef Mendelevich– author of “Unbroken Spirits”, Chaim Kompel, Victoria Dwek– Co-author of the “Made Easy Cookbooks” , Shaindy Spector and Minora & Benjamin Kraftmann from AMT Massage Clinic. A special thank you to Chaim Hersh Kaufman from Aperion Catering, our dear friend Niki, J2 Pizza from Lakewood, Taste N Toast and Yoeli Hershkowitz for the Gourmet meals and elegant décor. Thank You Mrs. Mendlovic for the beautiful and welcoming care packages. Last but not least, thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Laniado for making this event possible with their constant assistance- we couldn’t have done it without them.
The women who were unable to attend the event in person, each received a thoughtful delivery with a care package and CD of the event. This made them feel not forgotten and special- “Thank you for not forgetting us, for the thoughtful package, only in Shamayim is there a currency to measure the value of your Chesed. Tisku L’Mitzvos!”
Legal Team
Our legal team traveled out recently to Washington for a successful meeting with the BOP. The Dror representatives enlightened the authorities and discussed the impact incarceration has on the children who are left back home. Parental absence punctuates daily tasks and impacts self image. Children and teens are faced with lack of stability and shunning from peers in many situations. They bought awareness of the importance of having the familial ties continued during incarceration. As research has proven, children who regularly visit with incarcerated parents show improved emotional adjustment. To this end, we asked for more opportunities which promote bonding between father and child.
Bouncing off this idea, the BOP is hosting a Sunday program for the families of the Otisville Camp. Families will get to spend a day together in a different setting and with easier regulations than their usual weekly visits. Additionally, the BOP will be sponsoring cheap kosher meals.
Family Visiting
For families with a father incarcerated far from home, visiting him is challenging and the pain of being unable to visit frequently is immense. Dror thus arranged and facilitated a visit to a Facility in Florida, down to every last detail. Airline tickets, a car and hotel were arranged for the family. In addition, we treated them to a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, which turned their visit into a “vacation” thus making these children feel truly lucky and treated.
Thank you to our dear friends and sponsors for making this trip possible: Rabbi Shlome Torn, our partner Shua Brook from Aleph for sponsoring the airfare and Lazer Shimon Haltovsky. Mazel Tov Shua upon the birth of his baby boy.
Welcome Home
This Shavuos, the Dror family welcomed home a few former prisoners. We at Dror draw the strength to witness daily the pain of families ripped apart due to incarceration, from the joy we experience when these same families are reunited once again.
Dror ensures that their reintegration to society be as smooth as possible. One of the families had to make a temporary move to the states to be reunited. Dror thus helped them arrange and set up an apartment & provided them with household items.
Thank you to the following individuals and stores for their sponsorship and assistance: The Wilhelm family-especially Chaim Dovid Klein, the Reichberg family from Yossel’s Hardware-especially our dear friend Lazer Reichberg, Shloime Roth from Magic Mill, Yossi Itzkowitz from Toys 4 U and Avrumie Rozner.
Media- “Tefillin Provide a Glimmer of Light 70 Years Ago, and Today”
As featured last week in many Jewish newspapers, one day the askanim of Dror arrived to our office to find a bag hanging on the door with the following note attached: “These tefillin were used by our father in the camps with mesirus nefesh. He asked us to ensure that it will be used by Jews in prison.”
This holocaust survivor insisted that the tefillin which he donned each day in that terrible place—with such mesirus nefesh¬, and gave him such hope for a better tomorrow—be given to his brethren who are enduring a different kind of suffering; the darkness of prison. This message will bring the much needed light to these prisoners: No matter where you are, and no matter how dark your circumstances are, the light of Hashem and the light of mitzvos, is here to illuminate for you.
Mazel Tov
Mazel Tov to our Board member, Yisroel Hager, upon his daughter’s wedding.
Mazel Tov to Aba Winkler upon his daughter’s wedding.
Mazel Tov to Avrum Meir Schwartz upon his daughter’s engagement.
Mazel Tov to Berish Brunner upon the birth of his baby boy.
Mazel Tov To Moshe Zev Doppelt and the entire Doppelt family upon the wedding of their daughter/sister. A special Mazel Tov to his children, Mr. & Mrs. Nuchem Ornstein and Gershy Doppelt.
Mazel Tov to Shmiel Yaakov Hecht upon the expansion of his business with the release of the new informative and inspirational daily circular for women- “Community Circular”. We wish him much Hatzlacha in this endeavor!
Nichum Aveilim
We express our deepest feelings of sympathy to our board member, Yisroel Hager, upon the Petira of his esteemed father, Rav Pinchos Shulem Hager ZT”L. We wish him only Besuros Tovos going forward.
We express our deepest feelings of sympathy to the Weinstock Family, who stand at our side throughout to ensure food for inmates, upon the Petira of their father. We wish them only Besuros Tovos going forward.
המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבילי ציון בירושלים