On Sunday evening, January 15, Rabbi Shai Graucher, well-known author and Director of Chessed V’Rachamim, spoke about lifting Israel’s most broken and empowering the Jewish community, in a virtual conversation on Let’s Get Real With Coach Menachem.
He shared that “It was the 100th day of the war in Israel, and every day since the beginning, the most important thing is to make a yom t’filah.” He lamented that he lost his father Dedi Graucher, a famous singer, and his rebbi, Rav Chaim Kanievsky, both in the past three years.
In everything that he and his organization do, he is thinking of both of them. On the 100th day, he brought chayalim and families who were hurt in the war to many k’varim to daven. They went to the kever of the Baba Sali and to Rav Chaim’s kever and to his father’s kever and to Kever Rachel and to the grave of David HaMelech; last, they davened at the Kosel and lit candles in front of it. He went with widows and families of hostages. A solider who had lost a leg spoke at the Kosel and said, “It was k’dai to lose a leg to see such achdus in klal Yisrael.”
We should have achdus for simchos and happy things only!
Rabbi Graucher noted that, before October 7, there was a lot of sin’as chinam. On this 100th day, there was all this achdus at the Kosel with everyone together making a big kiddush Hashem.
“We are trying to bring kiddush Hashem.” It is so important to bring one another achdus and love!
“There are so many volunteers and donors. Without everyone together, we could not do what we do,” he said.
It is an opportunity for kiddush Hashem to show videos of chareidi organizations involved in helping everyone in Israel. There is no divide.
He shared that a 19-year-old girl called him to thank him. She said she saw a video of a soldier who had lost a leg, and they helped him and encouraged him to still get engaged and even brought the ring to the hospital. She watched that video, and it helped her, as she was in a similar situation, and because of it she decided to go through it and marry the person she was dating, who had also lost a leg in the war. She said that watching the video changed her view of the situation.
“We are trying to take the good and show it to others,” Rabbi Graucher explained. Besides achdus and kiddush Hashem, people should understand the importance of chesed and giving to others. Every day, he says, bar and bas mitzvah boys and girls are collecting to help children in Israel.
“When we give our heart, we are changing the world.” He related that everyone should know that every dollar, every prayer, makes a big change for everyone in Israel. You are giving Israeli families chizuk and koach. T’filah and chesed changes everything. A family doesn’t feel alone anymore.
He shared long-term plans for helping widows and orphans. He shared how he is helping 23 widows who are pregnant, who lost their husbands during this war. Some of the babies were recently born. His organization makes sure to help these families with whatever they need. He is building a building for orphans with therapy rooms and activities, as well as a center to provide food and clothing for poor families, especially for the chagim. We have to do everything in a most respectful way, he said. They are also planning to build a hall for simchos so these families can have weddings and birthday parties for free.
Every dollar counts. Hashem wants our heart.
Someone asked him how he can remain so cheerful in the face of so much pain. He acknowledged that he cries a lot. “It’s very painful!” He explained that when you help individuals and make them happy, that gives you tremendous koach.
“It is hard to see what families are going through. There aren’t words, but you can cry with them together. He said it’s important to see the good in every person.
“This helps us be strong, and it helps us to continue.”
He pointed out how people have come from all over the world to help. This changes people’s lives, both the receivers and the givers.
“It’s the best feeling to be able to help people!” He shared that “my avodah is to try to see good.” Everyone involved in his organization speaks only positively and focuses on the good. “We don’t know how much good there is in every person.”
He said that bachurim ask how to help, and he tells them to daven and learn more mishnayos. He is currently saying Kaddish for 33 people who don’t have someone to recite it for them.
It was truly inspiring to see what a difference one person can make. To donate to the organization, go to https://www.charidy.com/Chessedvrachamim.
By Susie Garber
