With the calm and the peace I am able to reflect on what we accomplished. The boys left here bubbling with excitement. They were no longer transfixed on their loss. They were eager to show off their new English skills, their new clothes, and the pictures of their new friends and the many places they visited.
I have already received phone calls from them telling me they are safe and well and miss their second home. The boys’ parents have also expressed to me how this experience has changed their outlook on life.
There is not much one can do to have an impact on the tragedy occurring in Israel today. But my family and the Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School in South River, New Jersey – principal Rabbi Dovid Wadler, teacher Senora Lory Stricker, and all the other staff members and students who joined in – assisted three young boys in dealing with their situation in a concrete and constructive manner.
There are opportunities out there for each and every one of us to help, if we just open the door. The beauty of it is that we ourselves are helped in the process.