This summer, participants from across North America will click into their bikes and lace up their sneakers for an extraordinary and inspiring event: Tour de Simcha 2023, the premier women’s cycling and running event in support of Chai Lifeline.
For Yaakov* and his family, planning for his bar mitzvah celebration had been an effort long in the making. The date and shul had been booked and the food had already been ordered. But as his family recalled, “Hashem decided He had other plans,” and Yaakov would have to mark becoming a bar mitzvah as a patient in Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
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Chai Lifeline Midwest recently conducted a series of comprehensive training seminars for the newest members of its local crisis and trauma response team. The sessions, led by renowned expert Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox, Director of Chai Lifeline’s Crisis Services, saw the participation of thirty dedicated men and women volunteers from across Chicago’s Jewish community. The group trainings were generously hosted by Yitzy Weiss at the WiFi Professional Building in Skokie, Illinois.
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Three years after its initial launch during the heart of the COVID pandemic, Chai Lifeline, the international children’s health support network, is once again preparing to bring Camp Simcha Without Borders to more than 600 children living with serious illnesses across North America.
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The Englewood community hosted Chai Lifeline’s annual Friends and Fun Shabbaton on May 5-6, bringing together over 63 girls impacted by pediatric illness and a dedicated group of local volunteers. The uplifting Shabbaton was organized by committee members Lori Schlakman, Deborah Berger, and Jodi Cohen and featured a packed schedule of speakers, activities, and delicious meals.
read full storyChai Lifeline, the leading Jewish pediatric health support network, in partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), is excited to announce an upcoming webinar titled “An Evening of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Very Early Onset IBD (VEO-IBD) Education.” This informative event will feature expert speakers from CHOP and provide an in-depth look at IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and disproportionately affects Ashkenazi Jews.
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Pesach is a time of joy and celebration for many families, but for those impacted by illness, trauma, or loss it can be a difficult and challenging time. Fortunately, Chai Lifeline is there to offer support and make Yom Tov a little bit easier for families in need. From family programming and financial assistance to meal deliveries and car cleanings, Chai Lifeline regions across the country helped alleviate stress and elevate the holiday for thousands of families.
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Camp Simcha, Chai Lifeline’s flagship summer program for children and teens with cancer, disabilities, and other serious illnesses, is proud to announce its selection as one of the top 500 summer camps in the United States, according to Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group’s “America’s Best Summer Camps 2023.”
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Summer camp campuses often lay quiet during the cold winter months, but Camp Simcha’s sprawling 125-acre campus in upstate New York was filled with laughter, friendship, and learning this past weekend for the Chai Lifeline LH Financial Services National Retreat for families living with pediatric cancer. Families from across North America had an opportunity to connect with other Chai Lifeline families facing similar challenges, gaining support from their peers while tapping into the knowledge of a team of professionals, to help navigate their medical journey.
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The Camp Simcha Special Family mourns the recent passing of Dr. Robert Van Amerongen Z”L, medical director of Camp Simcha Special. Dr. Van, as he was lovingly known by campers and staff alike, helped lead the Camp Simcha Special medical program since its inception in 2001. His kindness, warmth, sense of humor, and gentle manner were an inspiration to all who knew him. As we mourn his passing, we also remember Dr. Van’s legacy of caring and compassion, and the impact he had on the lives of so many.
Rivkah Reichmann, LCSW, associate director of Camp Simcha Special, shared her memories of her dear colleague and friend, Dr.Van.
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