A letter to Shluchim Rabbi Hirschy and Elkie Zarchi, from Shluchim whose child had Open-Heart surgery.
Dear Elkie & Hirschy,
We have started writing this letter so many times but got stuck due to the lack of the words we needed to express our gratitude. Now that we are finally home, we are attempting again. When seeing the news on COLlive of your expansion, and considering how the Rebbe encouraged Lefarsem Osai Mitzvah, we thought to express our gratitude here.
But first, a special thank you to COLlive for telling this important story. We were so excited to read the news that Harvard Chabad has been working with a leading Boston architectural firm to design a campus that will combine its buildings and have all of its programs in the LMA under one roof. Among many other features and programs of the new building will be an additional 12 hospitality suites, bringing the total bed count to over 50! The center will also have a central industrial kitchen that will provide Kosher meals to all Jewish patients in the Harvard teaching hospitals.
Now, so many more will be able to experience the hospitality of the Zarchis.
Nothing in our life prepared us for what it would take for our daughter to have open-heart surgery. From the medical jargon we had to decipher, to the hard decisions we had to make, uprooting our family from overseas for a couple of weeks, and all the emotional baggage that it comes with, we felt like infants being thrown into an ocean and told to swim.
Throughout all of it, we had you guiding us and cushioning every single bump we came across.
Had you only used your connections to secure the surgery with the chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, Dayeinu.
Had you only pushed for our surgery to be earlier, Dayeinu.
Had you only hosted us in such awesome accommodations, Deyeinu.
Had you only shared your best cleaning help with us, Dayeinu.
Had you only been the best resource when it came to ideas for entertaining our children, including enrolling two of our children, tuition free(!) in your incredible Cambridge Preschool of the Arts, (what we have later learned is the best and most coveted preschool in great Boston!), Dayainu
Helping us with camp, Avi’s playroom… Dayeinu.
Had you only done so many pick-ups and drop-offs to and from the hospital, Dayeinu.
Had you only been the most empathetic and compassionate listeners throughout, Dayeinu.
Somehow, while managing your awe-inspiring Shlichus, you managed to do all that and so much more. And you did this all while making us feel like it was no big deal. All, while still giving us our space, and simultaneously being so willing and available to give us whatever we needed.
We cannot adequately express just how much gratitude we feel.
We feel tremendously lucky to have you in the family of Shluchim, and that we got to know you over the last month. Spending time with you has been an honor, a privilege and a real pleasure.
It is our sincerest wish that Hashem should bentch you both with overflowing brachos of gezunt, parnassah beharchava, nachas, and only revealed good in your personal and shlichus life.
With much love and admiration,
Shluchim from overseas
