'The Israeli flag is our Iron Dome'

Convenience store owner, whose store suffered damage from a nearby mortar hit, was amazed to find the only thing that remained undamage was the Israeli flag.

Ilana Curiel

Published: 08.11.14, 12:16 / Israel News

When Silviya Orshchovsky arrived at her convenience store in kibbutz Ein HaShlosha on the Gaza border on Monday morning, she was shocked to discover the great damage caused to the structure from a mortar rocket that landed nearby.

It what was even more shocking was that while the entire front wall of the structure was peppered with shrapnel holes, the Israeli flag hung over the front door remained completely undamaged.

"The flag stayed hanging," one of the residents of the kibbutz said.

 "The bomb fell on the road in front of the store. It hit the walls; it's all holes in the door and everywhere else, just not on the flag. It remained untouched," Orshchovsky said.

The store, located in a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council that is right on the Gaza border, remained closed on Monday morning. "We have no communications or water, so we didn't open," Orshchovsky said.

'The flag is our Iron Dome' (Photo: Silviya Orshchovsky)

Orshchovsky spoke of the complicated situation in which the kibbutz residents found themselves - living in-between ceasefires.

"The situation here is unpleasant. It's very scary that we don't know where we stand. It's sad to see the kibbutz empty like this, without children," she said.

"I left only for a week, and came back because I wanted to be with my husband Sergio. It was harder for me to be far away up north than to be in the kibbutz," she added.

Our flag was still there (Photo: George Ginsburg)

Orshchovsky went on to say the residents of Ein HaShlosha weren't feeling safe.

"We have no security here, we're not safe. We don't know what could happen today or the day after tomorrow. The ceasefire is neither here nor there. Our children don't go outside because they can't. They returned to the kibbutz but remain inside the house. What kind of a routine is that for them? We want to live like in Tel Aviv, like in the north. I hope they don't start shooting again."
 

Visiting the Sick

Visiting the sick is one of the greatest commandments in the Torah. Rabbi Abba son of Rabbi Hanina said that “He who visits the sick takes away one sixtieth of his pain”. 

I would like to share with you a real life miracle story. My aunt passed away at a young age of 54. She battled cancer and excruciating pain over the last 7 years. Things were at its worse 6 years ago, when she was put into an induced coma and all of her organs except for her heart and brain had failed. The doctors had told us that she had about a 0.5-1% chance of surviving. We all prayed and many people had visited her in ICU as she had laid there looking worse and worse. However, seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days and in one month she actually woke up from the coma and all of her organs had restarted! There was not one doctor in the hospital who could explain how she survived. Medics would come visit her and just stare at her chart, trying to scientifically explain her recovery, but could not. She was now breathing on her own. Interestingly, when she woke up, she immediately started singing songs in Yiddish. Due to the extreme pain in her legs, she could not walk. This is common after a month long coma. Doctors then came and said she would not be able to walk as the nerves in the bottom of her feet are dead and show no signal. 

What do you think happened? Within half a year with no signal in the nerves under her feet, she was not just walking but driving herself to the supermarket. In June 2009, she celebrated her 50^th birthday where she walked around the restaurant and took shots (she drank water) with all her friends and family and even did some dancing.

Regardless of her miraculous recovery, people continued to visit and support her every day throughout the next 6 years. Those visits is what gave her the strength to survive to her last day. I had the merit to dance her last dance with her 8 days before she passed. My grandmother had not left her sight from the first day of her hospitalization and was the key in keeping her alive all these years. What makes this story even more miraculous? A few weeks later after she recovered and left ICU, another woman was brought into her old room with the same exact condition and the same slim chance of recovery. She also had a mother that never left her sight and she also recovered!!!!! The doctors would call her Polina 2!

I would like to take this idea to the next level and ask how can we apply this in our lives. Many of our fellow friends and family members go through stress every day. We all know someone who is sick, out of work, have a broken heart, feel lonely, betrayed, lost money or just simply had a bad day. We all have the ability to help each other heal. Simply visiting or calling a friend or extending our friendship to a stranger can do tremendous things. Kindness is what life is all about. As Hillel said,“Love your fellow as yourself” and the rest are just commentaries. 

Letter to the Three Mothers

by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff
You taught us how to live with the light of faith that defies even the darkest nightmare.

Dear Bat-Galim, Iris and Racheli,

What is there left for me to say? There are no words to describe the grief and pain we have all been feeling for your beautiful boys.

Racheli, I read your final good bye to Naftali and hot tears spilled down my cheek. “Rest in peace my child. We will learn to sing without you.”

Iris, your husband spoke for you to Eyal as the nation listened: “Your siblings want you near them…but Ima said that you are right now at God’s side. She asked that you whisper to God; ask Him to give her strength, to give us all strength.”

We all feel the same. There is a huge hole inside our hearts. We ask for strength.

I would like to thank you, dear mothers, on behalf of all the Jewish people, especially us mothers who know what it is to feel a child’s heart beat within. We mourn the loss of your precious sons. From the very first moment of this tragedy you carried Am Yisrael on your shoulders even as you bore your own anguish. You walked and talked with dignity as the eyes of the entire world were on you. We never heard you utter a word of complaint, a grumble, an angry scream of ‘why me’. Instead you taught us how to live with the light of faith so blinding it defies even the darkest nightmare.

You inspired all of us to do better and be better for your sons. We made promises to be kinder and watch our words. We vowed to kindle our Shabbos candles earlier; some for the very first time. We cried as we circled the flames and covered our eyes thinking of you. Little children went to sleep with a prayer on their lips, “Oh God, please bring our boys home.” Who could not be touched by the battalion of combat soldiers who have undertaken the commandment of wearing tefillin daily for the merit of the souls of Eyal, Naftali and Gilad?

Jews of all types, usually divided, stood together as never before. Young and old, religious and secular, Ashkenazi and Sephardi, all united. For once there were no walls. For 18 days we loved unconditionally. In unity we discovered how easy it is to break down barriers between brothers and sisters. You showed us the way. You did not choose this grueling test but you did pave the road on which we now walk, humbled, right behind you. It is a road paved with oceans of tears. I dare say it is holy.

Taken by the Nazis

When I was a little girl I would hear stories of brave Jewish mothers who suffered the loss of their children. Mothers like Channah whose seven sons refused to bow down to idols. Their only ‘crime’ was that they were born Jews. Not one son agreed to renounce his faith. Channah was forced to confront an unbearable pain. And yet she remained steadfast in her loyalty to God. I remember trying to picture the scene in my young mind but it seemed like an ancient tale from long ago.

“How can I sleep in my bed when Yosef Dov is not here? Is he cold? Is he hungry? Is he frightened?”

When I became older my father once shared with us the story of his own mother. One night there was a knock on the door. My father’s older brother, Yosef Dov , was brutally taken away as the Nazis began to come to power in Hungary. That evening my grandmother sat on her couch weeping. Hours passed. My father urged his mother to try and lay down in her bed. “How can I sleep in my bed when Yosef Dov is not here? Who knows where he is? What has happened? Is he cold? Is he hungry? Is he frightened?”

That was the very last time my grandmother laid eyes on her son. My grandmother never again slept in her bed. She mourned her child until the day that she, too, was taken away and both died Al Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the name of God.

I think of my grandmother’s sleepless nights, her many tears, her longing for her son and I think of you. You now join a long line of courageous women who brought precious life into this world only to be asked to return that life to the heavens above in sanctity. I think of your pain. I contemplate your suffering. I know that you are the Channah’s of today. You have given the greatest sacrifice. You have touched us all.

Is there any comfort we can offer you?

Never Alone

Please know, holy women, that we will never forget your sons. Their sweet faces are etched into our memories. When I close my eyes, I see their photos side by side. Young, shining stars, whose lights were snuffed out too soon. Their smiles do not leave me. I know that I am not alone when I say that we have all been transformed. We have tried to take this time of suffering and use it to rededicate ourselves. Many of us are trying to be better human beings and better Jews. Though time will pass, we will not leave the memories of your sons behind. We dare not.

You do not stand on this earth alone. Passover night we sing ‘Who Knows One?” The song continues as we ask “Who knows four? Four are the mothers,” we reply. Dear three mothers of Israel, remember always that there is one more mother who stands beside you. She has stood through exile, pogroms, inquisition, and Holocaust. She is Mother Rachel who to this day weeps for her children. Together you make four.

As the Jews were taken into the Babylonian exile and our Temple was in flames, it was the prayers of Mother Rachel that finally gave us hope and consolation. God responded to her tears.

“Thus said Hashem: A voice is heard on high, wailing, bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children; she refuses to be consoled for her children are gone. Thus said Hashem: Cease your weeping, wipe your tears, for there is reward for your accomplishment. Your children will come home. (Jeremiah 31, 14)

Bat-Galim, Iris and Racheli we say to you that your tears are not in vain. Mother Rachel joins you and weeps for your sons. We all do.

I pray that God answers our prayers quickly. It is time for our children to come home.

“May God wipe away your tears.”

Slovie Jungreis Wolff

 

Getting to the Meeting on Time

In the early afternoon hours I was calmly walking to the station for the intercity bus. I noticed a man running with all his might to catch a bus that was standing in the station. When he reached the bus, the doors were closed and the bus had started rolling into the street. All his attempts to get the bus driver to open the doors were for naught. His pounding and shouting did not help, the driver simply decided to block him out and continue on his way. When I reached the bus stop I found him angry and frustrated beyond words and he was burning up as if he was literally on fire. His friend – an older man who arrived at the bus stop within a few minutes found him cursing and swearing; cursing the bus driver and the bus company and everyone else he could think of. 

After the older gentleman heard what had happened, he said "I heard that you are angrily cursing because you were late for the bus and because you will be late for an important meeting. Tell me the truth – in the fifty times that you arrived and boarded the bus on time did you ever raise your head to Heaven and say ‘Thank You’?”

A sweet silence filled the air when the question reached his ears with the sharp rebuke. After a few minutes, he calmed down and he said “You are right! But I am angry not only because I will be late to the meeting but because the driver could have opened the doors but he chose not to.” 

To this the older gentleman replied “Everything is supervised from Above and you have to give thanks for the bad just as you would for the good!”

The man, who had cooled off from his anger agreed with these words of wisdom. Just then a car stopped in the station and asked for directions exactly to the place the man had to go to. The driver gladly took him along.

The whole time I stood on the side pretending to be reading a book. I got on the arriving bus with and as we were traveling, I noticed the earlier bus standing on the side of the road because something had happened to it. Some of the passengers were getting on the bus in which I was sitting. 

It became clear how everything is for the best for had then man gotten on the previous bus he surely would have been late for his meeting. Since he did not get on the bus but took the ride in the car he was able to get to his meeting on time!

Paid in Full

One of the best doctors in America, a wealthy, respected Jew who cared for his people was coming close to retirement. His friends and acquaintances arranged a magnificent, special ‘retirement party’ for him as was befitting his stature.

The important doctor – the guest of honor – was very emotional, and in his farewell speech told an amazing story that happened to him when he was made head of the department in one of the large hospitals in the United States.

* * *

‘Really’ – the doctor started his story – ‘everything began many years ago when I was a young boy. This was the start of Jewish immigration to America after the liberation of the camps. My father was not a religious man, who barely survived the terrible death camps and without the potent medications that we have today and without the doctors that we have today he died young and I was a very young boy. He left behind a widow and orphans without having anything. There were no rabbinical committees or charity funds at that time and there was also no one to worry about us or our needs and we were left simply hungry for bread.

‘One morning before I left for school, my mother had nothing to give me for breakfast, my stomach was growling from hunger and there was nothing in the house at all!

‘“Go to school now” - my mother said – “perhaps when you return I will find something.” I cried a lot because I was embarrassed to go to school without anything “and what would I do when all the children in the class would take out their treats and bread and only I would sit there with closed eyes and nothing in my hand?” I argued, and I would not go to school without anything.

‘In the end my mother found a ‘sugar packet’ hidden in one of the corners, she placed it in my hand so that I would have ‘something’ with me and not leave the house without something to eat.

‘At recess I suffered heartache seeing the children satisfy their appetites, I could not take the hunger pains any longer so I decided to go for a walk and see if I could find some food to quiet my hunger.

‘I left the class to go into the big city, a small child alone, and I started to knock on the doors of the holy Jews who are always giving. For a long time I went from door to door but to my disappointment no one opened up for me, it seemed that at that time no one was home as it was typical for Americans to be at work.

‘It happened as I was nearing a house I heard voices and noise, apparently they had not yet left the house… I hesitantly approached and lightly knocked on the door and it was opened by a young girl who asked me: “Who are you? What do you want?” I was very embarrassed but I gathered the courage and stated: “I am studying at a nearby school, I am a ten-year-old orphan and since my mother is a widow she is unable to provide for me, I come seeking a little water”…

‘”By us” – responded the girl with a wise smile – “we do not drink water in the morning!”

‘”Then what?”

‘”In our house, the beverage we drink in the morning is ‘iced coffee’! Along with some cookies!”

‘”That would be fine” – I happily responded.

‘She must have seen my condition and sensed my great hunger, and with a broad heart brought me a tasty drink and some delicious cookies which literally revived me at that time.

‘As I was drinking the coffee, she told me that usually no one is home at time of day either… and aside from the fact that she never opens the door to strangers as she was trained in her house, but today she did not feel well and she was a little late and she opened the door thinking that it was her father. “See how everything was destined for you from Heaven so that you could find something to quiet your hunger!” – the bright young girl rightly noted.

‘”What is your name?” – I asked in my embarrassment.

‘“Chana Rachel Rose” – she answered.

‘I thanked her from the bottom of my heart and I told her that she literally saved my life and I continued to thank her very much. I immediately returned to my seat in the classroom.

* * *

More than fifty years after that the story, the boy had grown up to be a specialist, head of a department in a very large hospital in the United States. From his nicely appointed office he would lead the department with a strong hand. Under him were tens of doctors and hundreds of nurses.

The protocol in that hospital was that the venerable head of the department did not go himself to the patient rooms on a daily basis. This was done by the residents and interns on daily rounds who would record in the patients’ charts their diagnoses and the various treatments prescribed for the patients’ specific needs. Afterwards the charts would go to the head of the department for review and to confirm the treatments.

One day as the specialist was reviewing the patient charts and their details he stumbled upon the name of an older woman “Chana Rachel” and next to her married name was entered her maiden name: “Rose”. The name Chana Rachel Rose” rang a bell in his head and he should have recognized it. He tried to remember where he knew the name and after some hard thinking he remembered the story that happened more than fifty years ago!

He immediately got up from his place, left his office and went to the patients ward. Everyone moved out of his out of respect for him and they wondered why the chief doctor himself was coming to the patient rooms.

The doctor went directly to the room number listed in the chart, entered the room and asked, “Who is Chana Rachel Rose?” – When she was pointed out to him he did a thorough examination and ordered the nurses to give her exceptional care and that he was overseeing her case and was in charge of her recovery.

The members of the department were all confounded, why was this woman so important and why did the head of the department take on the care of this woman?

The doctor kept his word and came every day to track her recovery and after following the special treatment and dedicated management and with great effort she began to overcome her severe illness. Her medical condition stabilized and she began to recover and get stronger until with the help of Heaven she was able to stand on her feet and she made a complete recovery from her illness.

* * *

The day came when she was to be discharged from the hospital and she approached the nurses’ station in order to receive her ‘discharge papers’ which is customary. The head nurse told her that since she received special treatment from the head of the department she would have to pay for the special treatment in addition to the cost of the expensive medication that was prescribed for her.

When she tried to clarify the exact amount owed, the nurse told her that the doctor determines the exact amount, but because of the extensive treatment it would be in the tens of thousands of dollars! Because she was treated by the head of the department himself, his services cost a large fortune!

“But I did not ask for his services at all!” – Chana Rachel exclaimed – “For some reason he decided to come to my bed and offer to treat me, of course, I am very grateful and I appreciate his kindness but I did not think that I would have to pay so much! How can you treat a patient with such expensive treatments without letting them know in advance?” – wondered the patient who did not know how she would come up with large amount of money.

“Wait here a moment” – said the nurse – “I will go to the doctor’s office and I will clarify the matter. This does sound strange, as the doctor offered his services on his own without being asked.”

After several minutes the nurse came out with the ‘statement’ issued by the doctor’s personal secretary. The total on the statement was $53,000. However, at the bottom of the statement was a handwritten note from the doctor: “Paid in full more than fifty years ago!”

Now Chana Rachel was totally confused. She did not know what was happening. “What is going on here? How did I get such a large bill? What is the meaning of “paid in full”? How was it paid? By whom?” She did not understand anything at all. She begged the nurses to see if it was possible to arrange a meeting immediately with the doctor in order to understand what is happening here.

The sympathetic nurse who was also curious to solve the mystery arranged a meeting with the head of the department in his office.

Immediately, when she entered the doctor turned to her and asked, “Are you Chana Rachel Rose?”

She wondered why the doctor called her that - now and the first time he entered her room – by her maiden name, but she thought that was the only name he remembered.

“Yes!” she answered concealing her suspicion.

 ‘Tell me, do you perhaps remember a boy of ten-years-old that came to your house and you gave him ‘iced coffee’ and cookies?’

‘No! Really, no!’ – answered Chana Rachel as her astonishment grew stronger and she did not understand anything that was happening with her today.

‘Please sit down” the doctor requested politely.

She was very nervous, but the doctor calmed her and told her that she had nothing to worry about and the bill had already been paid in full. He started to remind her of the story until she remembered the entire incident that she did indeed open the door for a boy who wanted something to drink.

“I am that orphaned little boy!” the doctor stated, “the cup of coffee and the biscuits that you gave me more than fifty years ago saved my life! They were surely payment in full for the entire bill!!!”

The elderly Chana Rachel was overcome with joy and emotions.....

* * *
The wisest of all men has already testified to us: “Send your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it.” (Koheles 11:1)

Heart Attach

Everything changed for me on December 22, 2013. 

We were in the middle of a power outage due to a severe ice storm in Toronto. I had not slept because the house was very cold. In the early morning I went out to the front door to see my husband attempting to get a layer of ice off the windshield of his car. It was strange to see him try to pull out the driveway since there was a tree atop both of our cars. 

The neighborhood looked like a beautiful but eerie place in the dark. Seeing everything covered in ice made the world look like a giant ice sculpture.

After my husband managed to leave, I realized that I would need my car
the next day to go to work. So I decided not to wait for my husband. I
found a saw and started to cut the tree into pieces. My neighbor came out with a large pair of pruning shears. So I began cutting and sawing away.

Soon after, I started feeling pressure in the center of my chest. I
tried to ignore it, thinking it was probably from the cold or
exertion. After another 30 minutes I decided to go inside and lie down

I am a registered nurse so I was looking at this from a position of a
healer, not a patient. Medics are known for their tendency to dish out
advice to others but not use it on themselves. Doctors and nurses are
notoriously "bad" patients.

After a few hours, I started feeling shortness of breath, light
headiness and tightness in both sides of my throat. My family was very
concerned. After a while, I finally relented and we called the EMT
service. As they arrived I started feeling a sharper pain on the left
side of my chest.

The first blood work in the emergency room, after being transported
via ambulance, came back normal. I felt bad that I had made a big deal
out of nothing. Yet, my second blood enzymes came back slightly
elevated small MI (myocardial infarct or heart attack.) The third
enzymes came back with a definite diagnosis of HEART ATTACK!

My head was spinning. This did not seem right, I'm not ready for
this...I'm not old enough ...this can't be.. I have things to do...
work to go to ... I do not have time to stay here!!!

Yet, hospital is exactly where I stayed for almost a week. My family
was not used to me being away from home and wanted to stay close to me
in the hospital instead of being home without me. Seeing the sad,
tired, weary, concerned look on my husband's face all week made it
clear that he was not ready for this either.

It was then that I realized that this had to be a new beginning....
not the beginning of the end...but the REAL beginning.

I decided to change the course of my thinking from a potential feeling
of depression to a new opportunity of a fresh start. Since I was not
allowed to do many of my routine activities, I had lots of time to
think and 'listen' to myself. I also had time to spend with friends
and family who came to see me. We sat down, without being rushed and
had long heart to heart conversations. Of course, my old self would
be running around doing things in the kitchen and then lament about
missing the most important conversations.

People that came to talk to me were affected as well. It made everyone
stop and think about not taking their lives for granted.

This heart attack MADE me stop, reflect and listen to my own thoughts.
I started feeling positive, thankful, philosophical and spiritual. It
was empowering to realize that we are not always in control of
situations but are only responsible for our response to them.

I decided to write some of the lessons down. I hope you will find them
useful to trigger your own thoughts about more meaningful life. Some
of the ideas are very specific to me. While I write from the
perspective of a religious Jewish woman, I think these ideas can be
applied to anyone with their own ideas of spirituality. 

The title of these ideas is "A Wake Up Call"

· I don't have to do everything.

· Its okay just being myself.

· I am valuable just as I am.

· I don't have to be perfect.

· My to do list does not define me.

· My worth is not measured by how much I accomplish in a day.

· I need to learn to understand myself in order to take care of myself.

· I must take the time to stop and listen to my own thoughts.

· I need to find joy and satisfaction in everything I do.

· I need to live in the present not ruminate about the past and not worry about the future.

· I need to know that GOD has my back and if I stop fighting HIS guidance I will find the right solution.

· Sabbath is for reminder that BEING is just as good or better than DOING.

· I need to slow down, stop and listen to what people around me have to say.

· I need to hear what people around me truly want and not assume that I know what's best.

· I can open doors but can't force anyone to enter.

· I can sometimes help others more by just letting them figure it out themselves.

· If I help others too much I will render them helpless since doing less for them sometimes helps them more.

· Remember the story of the butterfly, if you help it break out of its cocoon, its wings will not get strong from the struggle and it will not be able to fly.

· I need to make choices based on more accurate information, by learning more about myself - not by being guided by guilt or unrealistic expectations that I have of myself or perceive others have about me.

· I need to take care of my health, exercise on a regular basis; 3 times per week for 30 minutes consistently.

· I need to monitor my stress levels and realize that being stressed will not change anything except increase anxieties and blood pressure.

· Learn to recognize what I can and cannot control.

· I need to forgive myself and let it go of pain.

· Live in the moment without regretting the past or thinking about what has not happened yet.

· The past, present and future are a progression of life. We can only stand on the stepping stone of the present.

At my next appointment my doctor noticed that I was having an unusual reaction to having a heart attack. He was surprised that unlike most people who feel depressed after such a health failure, I was experiencing very positive emotions.

Of course, to keep the positive changes in our lives is a constant
life-long project but NOW is the time to start.

 

 

 

Full story coming soon on hearttoheartwithsharon.com blog For comments email sharon@hearttoheartwithsharon.com

 

 

 

 

A Chilling And Awe-Inspiring Malaysia Air Flight 370 Story

The whole world’s eyes are on the far east, wondering how a Boeing 777 can just disappear without a trace.  Malaysia Air Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur at 12:43am this past Saturday morning and has yet to be located.  Flying is the safest mode of transportation that exists today, so the disappearance of an airplane like this is really sobering.

 

I heard the following story firsthand from the travel agent involved.  He is an avid DansDeals follower that I’m friends with.  He sent me the unedited exchange that follows and I made the necessary edits to protect the privacy of the parties involved.

The saying goes, “More than the Jews have kept the Shabbos (Sabbath), the Shabbos has kept the Jews.”  When I think of that saying, I picture my life if I were constantly wired 7 days a week.  As it is, I feel like a slave to my digital devices, but the knowledge that Shabbos is right around the corner keeps me going. From sundown Friday evening until when the stars come out on Saturday night it’s 25 hours spent completely offline and it’s blissful.  It’s 25 hours spent praying to G-d and consuming obscene amounts of calories eating scrumptious meals with family and friends.  It’s perfect.  Sure anyone can always disconnect, but there’s something awesome about the forced routine that can’t be properly explained to one who hasn’t experienced it.

But the saying goes much deeper than that in this story.

 

Click on any of the emails to enlarge them.

On 01/13/14 Andy emailed his travel agent his desired itinerary:

 

 

The travel agent, an Orthodox Jew, proposed the following business class itinerary, slightly altering the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight from Saturday to Friday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy loved the price, but again requested the Saturday morning flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing:

 

 

The travel agent responded that he would not be able to book travel for him over the Sabbath, but that he was free to book that flight by himself:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy agreed with that and planned to book the flight by himself:

 

And the travel agent noted that if he changed his mind to just let him know:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shortly afterward Andy did just that:

 

And the travel agent recommended a place to get a nice kosher meal and booked him the originally proposed itinerary, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Friday early morning instead of Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fast forward to 2 days ago.  The travel agent is in Israel and reads this email once Shabbos is over.  The email was sent after shabbos, at 7:15pm Beijing time/1:15pm Israel time:

 

 

And the travel agent wrote back, equally in shock at the realization of Shabbos saving his client’s life:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

—————————————————————————

Indeed, due to the travel agent worrying about the religious observance of a fellow Jew, Andy was persuaded into flying on Malaysia Air 370 exactly one day prior to the ill-fated flight he wanted to take.

It’s not often we hear a story like this.  It’s been 103 years since Rose was saved from the devastation of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire thanks to observing Shabbos.  And now it was Andy’s turn.

Prayers go out to the families of those still missing.