Almost nine months pregnant, Dina was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. Forcefully separated from her husband and doing backbreaking labor in the fields of Goshen in Mitzrayim, she somehow clung with superhuman strength to her emunah, tefilot,and belief in the ultimate redemption.
The labor pains began suddenly and Shifra and Puah were secretly summoned to assist in ensuring the continuity of the Jewish people. Some hours later, six beautiful babies (sextuplets) were duly delivered — three boys and three girls laid side by side, next to a spent but glowing mother, Dina. As it was known, in those times “the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied and became very very strong, and the land became filled with them” (Shemot 1:7).
In our times too, as Jewish women, we carry on against all odds — often giving birth in nearly impossible circumstances. Meet Yael Mizrachi, a religious Sephardic woman who found herself expecting quadruplets around 25 years ago, in 1998. She already had three young children under five at home and doctors had strongly advised her to terminate two of the babies. They declared that the chances of all four surviving the birth was one in a million,
Enter Just One Life, an incredible organization that assists pregnant women in crisis, originally founded by successful businessman Jack Forgash, renowned Rabbi Solomon Sharfman, z’l (rabbi emeritus of Young Israel of Flatbush in Brooklyn), and veteran social worker Madelaine Gitelman. Initially established to assist those medically at risk (due to unexpected pregnancy-related complications), in financial distress, lacking social support or enduring abuse, today it has grown to support any difficult pregnancy in a crisis situation. Currently, Just One Life’s professional and caring therapeutic team has much expertise in dealing with a diverse range of prenatal and postnatal clients and their circumstances.
In this case, Just One Life (JOL) was able to facilitate Yael’s successful connection with one of its supportive founding doctors, Dr. Shimon Glick at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva. He took authority and fully encouraged her to give birth to all four babies. Yael also consulted with local rebbeim from her community in Har Nof, who strongly advised her to carry all the babies to full term.
With heartfelt praise and gratitude to God, Yael gave birth naturally and quickly to four healthy baby boys — the first such occurrence ever in Israel — and was duly assisted financially and emotionally by Just One Life. Their bar mitzvah in 2011 was an extraordinary occasion attended by more than 500 people, where the quadruplets put on their tefillin at the Kotel and gave a joint drasha at a celebratory seudah in Givat Shaul. They even received a complimentary set of the four minim — lulavim, etrogim, hadassim and aravos as bar mitzvah gifts! Today, Benzi, Yosef, Shlomo and Yishai (in the order that they were born) are 25 years old; two of them are fathers themselves and a third is engaged to be married.
Rabbi Marty Katz,as the remarkable founding executive vice president of Just One Life,is still in touch with the Mizrachi quadruplets and their family until this day. Recently, Rabbi Katz and his wife, Yaffa, visited Eretz Yisrael, where he indeed merited to meet the next generation of Yael’s family. It was an extremely meaningful moment for Rabbi Katz as he held the babies of two of the original Mizrachi quadruplets in his arms, with Yael—now their grandmother—standing by and looking on. Rabbi Katz commented with feeling to his wife and to all present at that time in the room, “This is the next generation (of Just One Life) … I am holding the next generation,” and admits that this experience made a tremendous personal impression on him.
Bright Beginnings
Just One Life (JOL),also known in Israel as Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael (NAB),was set up in 1988 by those concerned about the lack of support for expectant mothers in challenging circumstances. Many distinguished individuals, like US businessmen Jack Forgash (original founder and present chairman) and Steve Adelsberg (co-chairman), as well as Rabbi Solomon J. Sharfman, a”h (founding rabbi), Madelaine Gitelman, MSW, (former executive vice president and today’s Israel board chair), Dr. Shimon Glick (then dean of Ben-Gurion University Soroka Hospital) became the leading founders behind “the birth” of the organization that is “Just One Life.”
Rabbi Marty Katz too,as its committed and passionate executive vice president for over 33 years now,has been a crucial part of Just One Life’s success over the years. By providing “stability to families experiencing turbulence in their lives” through professional counseling, emotional support and financial assistance to those in need, the continuation of (in the words of Jack Forgash) “Israel’s most precious resource—its children” is preserved. As per its appropriate name “Just One Life,” the famous Talmudic passage in Sanhedrin (37a) states, “He who saves just one life (nefesh achat b’Yisrael) has saved an entire world.”
Indeed, many rabbinical advisors—such as Rav Pam a”h, Rav Dovid Feinstein a”h, and currently, Rav Reuven Feinstein—have strongly endorsed the work of Just One Life. Rav Dovid Feinstein a”h, even went so far as to say that its endeavors “stand at the forefront of the mitzvot of hatzalat nefashot and tzedakah l’aniyim.”
Over three decades of success has earned Just One Life extensive acclaim from top medical professionals and prominent politicians like Danny Danon, Israel’s former Ambassador to the United Nations, who proclaimed that Just One Life’s “work for Jewish families is fundamental to the future and well-being of the Jewish people.” Indeed, many children born with Just One Life’s support go on to perpetuate the legacy of the Jewish people by having families of their own, learning Torah in yeshivas and serving in the IDF. Rabbi Katz quips that in over 33 years of Just One Life’s operations, “nobody has ever returned to complain, but many have come to give thanks … saying how they can’t imagine life without their children!”
Just One Life in Action
Centrally located on 16 King George Street in Yerushalayim, Just One Life welcomes all sectors of society into their offices and offers assistance for all pregnancy-related issues that place a strain on the family unit. The vast majority of cases are destitute families, since around 1.7 million Israelis live below the national poverty line. Women from all over Israel are often referred to Just One Life’s highly-trained therapeutic professionals by social workers in the major hospitals (like Shaare Zedek and Hadassah), as well as doctors, nurses, and welfare offices.
In fact, nearly all of Shaare Zedek’s high-risk pregnancies (requiring extra therapeutic or emotional support) are directed to Just One Life’s team by its director of the gynecological ultrasound department, Dr. Eyal Mazaki (previously headed by Dr. Ori Shen z”l), who has a unique relationship with Rabbi Katz. In fact, when Rabbi Katz visits Shaare Zedek, he is often astounded by the respect, warmth and admiration he receives from the department’s staff members,which is a true testimony to the incredible treatment they provide.
The Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael (NAB) Israel team is ably directed by Chaya Katzin and her incredible team of professional therapists, Shira Keyak, Sara Gordon, Atara Block, Eliana Rubinstein and Rachel Morris (as well as three interns),many of whom have been expertly trained at either Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler Graduate School of Social Work or at the advanced social work programs in Bar Ilan or Hebrew University. They competently and perceptively help, guide and advise pregnant women in distress. The USA branch of the organization,overseen by Rabbi Katz,is mainly responsible for raising funds and resources, as well as providing an advisory function to the Israel staff. Just One Life is also a proud recipient of funding from the Daily Giving project, where members of Klal Yisroel donate a dollar a day and the collective funds are distributed to valuable Jewish (non-profit) charities—like Just One Life—around the world.
Every family in need of Just One Life’s services is sensitively assessed by social workers to determine the appropriate help (which sometimes will be implemented by JOL’s mother and infant center). Most likely, this will include a monthly financial stipend (of up to $1,800 per year), psychological counseling, advocacy for additional government subsidies, referrals to other relevant agencies, maternal child-care/parenting workshops, help with household bills and rent and even clothing for the babies (from its JOL office gemach)—all of which will continue as long as is necessary. On average, Just One Life’s social workers support around 500 plus births per year, making an extraordinary total of 19,700 plus babies over its three-decade existence in Israel!
Even the covid lockdowns, with its resultant economic meltdowns, did not deter Just One Life from fulfilling its all-important mission. Despite the 20% increase in caseload, head social worker, Chaya Katzin, together with her team,adeptly ensured that every client received the services they needed – even operating remotely when pandemic restrictions dictated distancing.
During this time, Miriam, a young mother of two, contracted covid and was rushed into isolation at Shaare Tzedek due her high-risk third pregnancy. To make matters worse, she had just been laid off from work, severely impacting the family’s finances. A hospital social worker suggested she get in touch with Just One Life, who immediately stepped in and provided Miriam and her family with the financial and emotional support she so desperately needed.
This unique organization strives to ensure that the birth of every new child should genuinely be a time of happiness and joyful expectation for every family. By providing crucial therapeutic support, they raise the bar through love and care to empower expectant women and their families by giving them the self-respect they need to process their choices and to learn new skills to better manage the challenging circumstances of their lives. They have never turned anyone away in their time of need, even extending themselves to visit clients in their miklats (bomb shelters) to distribute necessary supplies during times of the Israeli intifada.
The ongoing remarkable growth of JOL is evidenced by its numerous affiliative partnerships—for example, with the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, which provides exclusive social worker training; the mental health service provider, the Jerusalem Mental Health Expo; the maternal mental health care organization Heviei Kesher run by the Israeli municipality; as well as helping to provide financial subsidies for Yeshivat Ateret Hakohanim to give out to pre- and post-natal women living in the Old City areas of Ir David, the Muslim Quarter and Har Hazeitim,among many other fruitful connections. Future further expansion of its services includes opening up a sister branch of Just One Life in Beit Shemesh to service the growing population there. If truth be told, Just One Life is definitely changing the world, one baby at a time.
Mazel Tov! It’s a
‘Just One Life’ Baby!
Russian oleh Natalie is a prime example of Just One Life’s life-saving work in action. Three months after moving to Israel for the sake of her Israeli fiancée, she found herself alone after feeling optimistic about her newly-discovered pregnancy, despite her ex-partner’s opposition. Completely overwhelmed with no family or job (due to her ignorance of standard pregnancy benefits), one of the Just One Life social workers found Natalie in a totally miserable state, on her friend’s couch. They speedily saved the day by arranging a place for her to live, crucial funding for her prenatal care, as well as helping her to obtain her rightful benefits as an oleh. They constantly counseled Natalie until she was in a more secure emotional and financial position, with housing and job prospects. The psychotherapy they provided also proved to be life-changing for Natalie, giving her a safe space to resolve her feelings surrounding her situation.
In fact, specific rabbinical guidance given to Just One Life emphasizes that expectant single mothers are deserving of its valuable assistance. Indeed, Just One Life literally saved single mother Natalie’s life by providing the necessary ingredients of basic living: food, shelter and emotional warmth and caring.They thus gave Natalie the feeling that whatever happened, she and her baby mattered!
Indeed, Sari,a JOL/Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael therapy beneficiary,perfectly sums up their services as follows, “I’m thanking you from the bottom of my heart… but it’s not enough because it is not just my thanks. My husband and daughter need to come to say thank you too. You did not just help me. You also gave my husband back his wife, and my daughter back her mother.”
For more information about the work of “Just One Life,” visit their website at https://justonelife.org/, email [email protected] or call 212-683-6040.
By Shifra Ebbing
