(Courtesy of Bears From Bergenfield) Recently, Bears from Bergenfield was on a teddy bear mission to deliver stuffed toys to children in five social service communities. The drop-offs included Or Akiva, for children at risk in afterschool programs; Ishah L’ishah, a center for abused wives and children, located in Jerusalem; Arnona, for distribution to Mevo Modiin fire survivors by volunteers; Lema’an Achai, a center to help families “escape” poverty, located in Ramat Beit Shemesh; and One Family Together, located in Jerusalem.

Toys were redistributed to over 300 children throughout half the country, from Haifa to Hof Yam Hamelach. Those Israeli volunteers who helped with the mission of teddy bear redistribution are Mimi Rozmaryn of Meir Panim; Rebbetzin Sharona Halickman; Miri Gantshar, social director; Heidi Bergenfeld, social worker at Lema’an Achai; and Dina Kit, manager at One Family Together. If you would like to donate to this cause, please contact Rabbi Claire Ginsburg Goldstein at [email protected]. Your bears are “bear-y” much appreciated. Bears From Bergenfield is in its 17th year of redistribution of teddy bears, with 189,000 collected and redistributed to date.