Eight years ago on a spring Shabbos morning, my wife said she was not feeling well. An hour later she was in the ICU paralyzed from the neck down. That day turned our world upside down. I was introduced to Chai Lifeline, which I had thought was simply a nice organization that gives sick kids gifts and takes them to Disney World, but over the next few months, I had realized how wrong I was. Chai Lifeline became a huge part of our lives.
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I started working at Camp Simcha as a counselor in 2004. Those were the greatest summers of my life. I remember walking out of the dining room on my last day there, already engaged to my wife, thinking this would be the last time I would be part of such a magical place. I was wrong! In 2010, I called my role model and mentor, (Camp Simcha Boys Head Counselor) Rabbi Ari Dembitzer and asked if I could come and learn with some of the campers or counselors. He said sure, but we have no room for you to sleep here. I drove 45 minutes every day from my parents’ bungalow for 5 years. One thing led to another, and now, B’H, here I am.
read full storyClose to 20 years ago, Chai Lifeline CEO Rabbi Simcha Scholar and I developed Project Chai as way to broaden the services of Chai Lifeline to the greater community by providing intervention for crisis and trauma, which went beyond medical conditions. We aimed to provide formal training in the community for committed individuals to serve as first responders in a range of emergency circumstances. Nearly eight years ago, Rabbi Scholar asked me to serve as director of Project Chai.
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On January 7-8, Mr. and Mrs. Yechiel Mayer (a.k.a. Franky) Frenkel, along with the Toms River Community hosted an unforgettable Chai Lifeline Shabbaton for 70 Camp Simcha boys and staff.The boys arrived on Friday afternoon to a welcome party where they reminisced about camp, connected with old friends, and received special gift bags full of goodies and toys. The event was fully medically-supervised, with a paramedic, 4 nurses, and 3 Camp Simcha division heads led by Rabbi Duvy Feiler on hand.
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On Monday, December 20, luxury fashion brand Teri Jon by Rickie Freeman welcomed a group of Chai Lifeline girls impacted by pediatric illness to visit its Manhattan showroom and get an inside look at the world of fashion. The event was coordinated and led by Teri Jon Creative Director Leora Mishan who spoke about the process of fashion design and the power of taking ideas and insight from all around. The girls then enjoyed light refreshments before leaving for the Chai Lifeline New York office for lunch.
read full storyFor the first time, donors can now make a tax-deductible gift of popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, to Chai Lifeline, the Jewish community’s leading international children’s health network.
Utilizing The Giving Block platform to process all transactions simply and safely, donors can select from a wide variety of cryptocurrencies to support Chai Lifeline in any amount they want.
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Chai Lifeline ends off the year with a series of weekend retreats for families impacted by pediatric illness and volunteers of Chai Lifeline. Hosted on Chai Lifeline’s beautiful Camp Simcha campus in Glen Spey, NY, the retreats help recharge participants for the year ahead.
“Connection is vital during illness, no person or family should go through sickness alone,” said Chai Lifeline Director of Volunteer Services Faige Yudkofsky. “Our retreats allow parents and kids to connect with people just like them to form a vibrant community of support.”
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More than 500 former Camp Simcha campers, counselors and staff, along with their families, celebrated Alumni Day on Sunday, July 29 at Camp Simcha’s Glen Spey, New York campus. Participants enjoyed an array of interactive activities and programming with current campers and staff, as well as the opportunity to catch up with old friends and familiar faces.
On August 1, 550 cyclists will clip in and ride 180 miles over two days as part of Chai Lifeline’s ninth annual Bike4Chai. The bicycling event raises funds for Chai Lifeline, the international children’s health support network which provides emotional, social, and financial support to children with life-threatening or lifelong illnesses and their families. read full story
The Melava Malka at Achim B’Yachad’s Shabbaton at the Fischl home was a treat for children and adults alike.
In today’s busy society, much of our family bonding time takes place on Shabbos. It’s the day that we switch off and unplug, leaving the distractions of everyday life to focus on our loved ones.
At Chai Lifeline, some of our most powerful family moments and memories are created on community-shared Shabbatons. As Lakewood’s population grows and diversifies at unprecedented rates, we adjust our programs and retreats to appeal to as many people as possible. Two of this year’s highlights were the newly-introduced Achim B’Yachad Shabbaton and the annual Chestnut Shabbaton. read full story
