As we welcome the month of Iyar, we enter what Jewish tradition calls the month of healing, reminding us that healing happens not just within ourselves, but through the care we extend to one another.
This month brings a profound journey through memory and hope. We begin with Yom HaShoah, honoring those lost in the Holocaust. We move into Yom HaZikaron, remembering Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. And then comes an extraordinary shift – into Yom HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day – where grief transforms into celebration, and loss gives way to renewed life. This movement from sorrow to joy reflects the essence of healing itself.
At JFCS, we witness this kind of healing every day through our work with Holocaust Survivors across South Jersey. With the help of our remarkable volunteers – especially fitting to celebrate during National Volunteer Appreciation Month – we address not only physical needs but also the isolation that too many Survivors face. Our volunteers deliver meals, provide companionship, and create connections that restore dignity and hope.
One relationship beautifully embodies the healing spirit of Iyar: the bond between JFCS Advisory Council member Peter Fischer and Louis Goldman, a Holocaust Survivor living in Vineland.
What began years ago with Peter delivering holiday meals to Louis has blossomed into something far deeper. Peter now visits regularly, provides support in ways both tangible and intangible, and the two men have become true friends. They share stories, laughter, and the kind of companionship that transcends the original purpose of the connection. For Louis, who lost so much and lived through unimaginable darkness, Peter’s consistent presence has brought light back into his life.
Louis recently shared his gratitude: “I don’t know how I was chosen to have such an angel in my life. There aren’t too many people like Peter anymore…I don’t know how to properly thank him.”
For Peter, the friendship has been equally meaningful. He’s witnessed firsthand how small acts of showing up, listening, and caring can profoundly impact another person’s life. What started as volunteer service has become a relationship that enriches them both – a reminder that healing flows in both directions.
Another Survivor, a woman from the Former Soviet Union, captured the ripple effect of such compassion in a poem she wrote to express her gratitude. Originally in Russian, her words speak to the transformative power of kindness:
I am a stranger in your eyes;
We are neither relatives nor friends.
Yet the hand you reached toward me
Unexpectedly set me dreaming
And suddenly gave me wings.
You chose to open wide your door
And share your generosity with one like me.
I thank you for your warmth and kindness.
I hope this gift will serve the good.
Perhaps one day I, too, may reach
My hand to someone
Whose world will brighten once again with joy.
Especially now, I need support,
And the gentleness within your soul
Means very much to me.
I would be glad to meet you.
That would be a precious gift to me.
And if that is not possible,
I will ask God to bless you
With happiness and with health.
This is the essence of Iyar – healing that extends beyond the individual, rippling outward through acts of care, connection, and generosity.
As we move through these days of reflection, remembrance, and renewal, our hearts remain with our brothers and sisters in Israel. Am Yisrael Chai.
None of this work would be possible without our dedicated volunteers, sponsors, lay leaders, and partners. During this month of appreciation and healing, we’re especially grateful for those who give their time, their presence, and their hearts to bring comfort and dignity to those who need it most.
Wishing you a month of healing, strength, and renewed hope.
