[COMMUNICATED] It was a quiet night in the oncology unit in a hospital in central Israel, full of the regular sights & sounds: The beeping of heart monitors, the groans of patients, the tense steps of loved ones. Mrs Yakovzer however, a young mother of 2 from Netanya, was noticeably absent from her bed. Having suffered for a few years from cancer herself, she had taken on teaching the sefer Chovos HaLevavos to the other patients. Despite her own pain and nausea, she pushed through to help strengthen others in their emunah & bitachon. This is just one instance in a tapestry of who this young woman was as a person. Unfortunately, she just passed away, leaving behind a devastated widower and two children.
Her widower, Reb Asher Chaim Yakovzer, came to Israel from Iran as a child, and lost his parents shortly afterward. The mourning family are now left without a support network to ease them through their grief. Attendees from the Kiryat Sanz community of Netanya and beyond were shaken by the tragic sight of the young Yakovzer orphan boy reciting kaddish for his mother.
Shortly afterward, a letter was issued to the public on their behalf by the Sanzer rebbe, and the rabbanim of Kehilas Sanz:
“Our heart is heaving, with pain and sorrow with the passing of the young righteous woman Mrs. Yakovzer a”h, the wife of ybdl”c R’ Asher Chaim. She left behind two little orphans, lo aleinu.
It is not necessary to say that large sums are needed to provide for the orphans now and in the future, and if not now, when?
Therefore, we ask from the depths of our hearts from our merciful fellow Jews, to come to the aid of the young orphans with generous donations to set up a fund to care for them.
The Father of Orphans should bless all the donors with every blessing, and they should be sealed in the Book of the Righteous, amen.
Signed
The Admor of Sanz
The Rabbanim of Kehilas Sanz, Netanya”
The public support of the rabbanim brings comfort to the tremendously pained young father and his two children, who now must free themselves from the dire financial situation which has developed over 5 years of focusing on Mrs. Yakovzer’s health. Donations to their emergency fund go toward paying their basic bills, and helping them to find some stability as they recover from their tragic loss.
Succos is typically a delightful time for children, full of play & excitement. For the Yakovzer children, it will be one of deeply painful adjustments. With the help of strangers, however, they may receive some comfort.