Samarian Terror Widow ‘Deeply Moved’ By Care Packages Received From Toldos Aharon

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — When Raziel Shevach was murdered by Arab terrorists near his home in the Samarian community of Chavat Gilad in January 2018, his wife Yael was left on her own to fend for herself and her six orphaned children. Less than a month later, she received a surprise package filled with Tu B’Shvat goodies for the children. She was even more surprised when she saw who had sent the package: The Toldos Aharon Chasidus, which she had never previously had any connection with.

This was not a one off event. Every festival since, seven times a year, the Rebbe sends a care package to Shevach and to 2850 other widows around Israel, irrespective of which community they are from. The chasidim say that this initiative started immediately after the rebbe began to lead the Chasidus in 1997. At first there were only five widows involved in the scheme who all lived near the rebbe’s Batei Ungarin synagogue, but over the years the rebbe expanded the enterprise to thousands of other widows.

Volunteers prepare the packages carefully with items related to the festival. A lot of thought and effort is invested in the packages in order to bring joy and festivity into the houses of widows and orphans.

One volunteer says that “The rebbe believes that what is lacking the most to the widows and orphans is a ‘father’, who shares their pain, comforts them and buys them things, giving of his heart and soul to them. For this reason he established the organization which gives the widows the strength and the backing they require at every festival.”

Yael Shevach with her children

Yael with her husband Raziel Hy’d

Care package from Toldos Aharon rebbe

Yael Shevach was deeply moved by the gesture. She told Kikar Hashabat that “a special emissary came on the eve of Tu B’shvat with items from the rebbe which included a fruit platter and games for the children. On the eve of Purim it happened again. We got Mishloach Manos for every child. Thus on every festival, without missing one, coronavirus or no coronavirus, they always come here to Chavat Gilad, a place where even Pizza deliverers don’t come to.

Shevach says that “they (Toldos Aharon) are not known for their love for Zionism and the settlement enterprise but the still find the time and come here to help orphans. I have never spoken to them and my way of saying thank you to them is only via the media.”