Dear friends,
Last Friday I sat at our kitchen table thinking back over the past year. My amazing wife was preparing challah for Shabbat and I watched as she took the large bowl of risen dough and punched it down with her fist. I asked, “Why do you do that?” She told me, “After the dough is punched down it rises back up again. The second rising makes the challah even better.”
This year all of us were punched down by COVID-19.
Our brothers faced financial hardship, and social isolation. I don’t have to tell you how serious a situation this was for our soldiers. But thanks to the support of our amazing BFL family were able to rise back up and deliver help wherever it was needed. The challenges made us stronger and better prepared for what I’m sure will be more challenges ahead.
This past year our team of BFL staff and volunteers did everything in their power to keep our injured soldiers and their families stable. We delivered critical financial aid and much-needed laptops to families. We connected brothers through regular Zoom calls and special events like our streaming Yom HaZicharon service. We continued finding innovative medical treatments and devices despite not being able to travel. And thanks to you our over 1,000 members and their families saw clearly that they have family around the world who are with them no matter what.
The pictures below are just a few of the highlights of this past year. Yes we got punched down in 2020, but we will rise up only stronger!
Am Yisrael Chai!
Yaniv
2020 Year in photos
Making a dream come true, BFL teams up with Walter Reed Medical Center to provide an innovative surgery on two of our brothers to end years of pain and to share the process with the Israeli community.
The only 2020 delegation to Miami.
Making a brother feel like one of the guys again by creating a special bike for him.
Helping those with PTSD through scuba.
Annual Event at the Beit Achim for our 45 scholarship recipients
Providing innovative medical support – the anti-gravity treadmill that uses NASA technology to help those with injuries rehabilitate in a nearweightless environment.
And tailor-made 3D printed arm braces.
Impacting Jewish youth around the world – one BFL talk at a high school in Johannesburg inspires a student to join the IDF. The BFL speaker and student cross paths four years later.
Supporting newly injured soldiers who defend the State of Israel.
Transitions – Dekel Darchani moves on from BFL to his next chapter,
and his protégée Koby Mamo takes the helm of our soldier to soldier projects.
Dealing with lock downs and quarantines.
The introduction of the BFL Zoom Series.
and BFL masks
Helping brothers weather the lockdown with the laptop program.
And more PTSD support and counseling.
But life still is full of joy with engagements, weddings, and babies from our new BFL families!
Celebrating Chanukah physically apart but together forever.
Next year in Jerusalem!