[list] Clarification re: Wording of Appeal for Single Mom "Giyoret", Still collecting

[Barbara & Lorne]

I was recently asked why I always mention, when collecting Tzedaka for 
my "Single Mom Giyoret" friend why I feel the need to mention the 
"giyoret" part, and I realized how this may inadvertently have come 
across as offensive to people in the community, for a variety of obvious 
reasons (i.e; people who are Gerim themselves, people who understood me 
to be indicating her being "different"...), well, here is the scoop;

I only point out this fact to the community, to impress upon everyone, 
her particularly difficult situation, made even worse, by yes, her 
status as a Giyoret . Her case is not the same as a Ger who, for example 
is married to an Israeli or an N. American Jew, and who lives in a 
supportive community with her kids as "one of us".  Unfortunately, she 
is very much alone, in large part due to her "newcomer/outsider" status 
and abandonement by her ex. 

I know her for almost 15 years (from Canada as do our other Cdn. Olim 
friends from Ottawa), and she is a True Ger Tzeddek.  She also was 
abandoned by her con artist husband (literally, he has duped many people 
in many situations including leaving her with a Mashkantah debt of which 
she never derived any benefit) with 4 kids, and left alone, with _no 
natural community_ to whom to turn.  She is West Indian, and there are 
no major West Indian Jewish communities that I know of in Yerushalayim.  
Because she looks "different", even thought she is a Ger Tzeddek and is 
totally one of Ahm Yisrael, she has gotten stopped by Immigration Police 
and questioned (her lack of good Hebrew doesn't help much either 
convincing them of who she really is) by them, humiliating and offensive.

I hope this sheds some light upon the reason I point out that she is a 
Giyoret.  Her
_Special _Giyoret Status indeed has made her life more difficult.  She, 
unlike our friends in Canada who were Gerim and were totally part of our 
community (as was she while living in Ottawa) has_ no natural 
community,_ and she simply must rely on the kindness and chessed  of 
strangers like yourselves, who are sympathetic to her situation. She is 
a very good lady raising her four kids so well, in spite of her lacking 
in language, in-depth knowledge of Yiddishkeit/Israelikeit, money, 
communal support... She does have other friends who she has met since 
her aliyah like myself who admire her and try to help her out, but as 
her needs are so great, we appeal to other kind chessidike folks like 
yourselves to help out this lady, who in many ways, is sadly alone. 

I hope this clarification has helped.  Sorry if I offended anyone. 

Kol Tuv,

Chag Kasher Vesameach

PS I am still collecting any contributions if you can contribute, will 
deliver Thursday IYH.

Barbara Brown

>


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