From Our Files

Moshe Speaks

Excerpts from a letter that Moshe, 15, wrote to Rabbi Shendorfi at the end of the school year:
“…What tremendous progress I have made in this short time!”
“I know that I don’t thank you enough, couldn’t possibly thank you enough, for all your extraordinary and heartfelt efforts for me and for every other student.”
“I remember times when…you spoke to me and listened to me, even at the expense of your own rest. You never even hinted that you’d prefer to be somewhere else.”
“This is the most awesome yeshiva!”

Avi Shares His Good Fortune with His Brother

Avi is dyslexic and has great difficulty with writing. By junior high school, he was so discouraged and self-conscious that he refused to write at all.
Avi, whose family lives near the Neve Ziviya High School, heard great things about it from a friend and began sitting in on classes. (By this time he had been truant from his previous school for months, although his parents insisted that he continue there.)
After a few weeks, Avi’s mother met Rabbi Shendorfi, the school’s principal, to discuss what to do about Avi. During the meeting, Rabbi Shendorfi showed Avi’s mother stories and assignments her son had written with the patient encouragement of the staff.
Astonished that her son was willing to work on a task that was so difficult for him, she quickly realized that Neve Ziviya was the ideal place for Avi, and agreed that he should transfer. Not long after, she enrolled her next son – who was also struggling in school - as well. He, too, is thriving.

 

Aaron Pays His Debts

Aaron, a contractor from Ashdod, has known hard times. In the mid ‘90’s, he took loans to buy building tools and supplies, just before business suddenly dried up. With no source of income and loans due, he fled to Bnei Brak with his wife and children, where they lived in the vacant apartment of a relative.
An acquaintance met Aaron’s wife, Judith on the street and alerted Neve Ziviya to their desperate situation. For four years, while Aaron and Judith worked odd jobs and struggled to repay his debts, Neve Ziviya delivered the weekly food packages that enabled them and their small children to survive.
Four years after Neve Ziviya began assisting Aaron and Judith, this letter arrived:
“Through all our struggles, we never had to worry about having enough food to survive. Thanks to Neve Ziviya’s generosity, we were able to repay our debts and are once more self-sufficient. We can never thank you enough for your help, for your sensitivity, for reaching out to us when we did not know where to turn. We are glad to support Neve Ziviya so you can continue to help other families in need.”