Dear Friends,
As an NCSY community, we were shocked to hear that Friday night Orly Ohayon, a Southern NCSY Regional Board member and recent participant in NCSY Michlelet (this past summer) and TJJ, was injured seriously with her mother Esther in an accident. Sadly, Orly’s mother, Esther Bat Yosef, a”h, died of her injuries. Orly successfully underwent surgery Saturday night and has started the long process of recovery.
The pain of this tragedy is truly unthinkable. We are gratified that Orly has the very close support of her rabbi and community in Jacksonville, of her chapter advisor, and of the staff and leadership of Southern NCSY. In addition, these past 48 hours have included an overwhelming demonstration of support from hundreds of NCSYers.
So many of you have reached out to us asking what you can do on behalf of Orly, with people around the country organizing groups of friends to daven for Orly or to do something positive in her merit. In Judaism, we believe that our prayers and actions can serve in merit of a fellow member of our community. We hope that in honor of Orly’s passion for Judaism, happiness, and care for others that you join us in learning and praying in merit of her refuah shleimah, a full and speedy recovery.
Prayer: Sign up to Say a chapter of Tehillim . Or reach out to your local NCSY professional to help arrange a Tehillim gathering in your community. (NCSY staff can also help in arranging for counseling with a mental health professional on a local basis, often in conjunction with Chai Lifeline and/or local Jewish Child and Family Services agencies. Everyone is affected in different ways by such challenging circumstances as these. Please do not hesitate to reach out to NCSY staff to arrange for whatever you need.)
Learning Torah: Find a learning partner to learn Torah as a merit for Orly and in memory of her mother, Esther bat Yosef a’h. Additionally, if you would like to learn the book Growing Each Day by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, sign up here for a copy.
Doing Mitzvot: Accept upon yourself a mitzvah in honor of Orly and share it with us: Nothing Can Stop You.
Tzedaka: Make a donation toward the Ohayon Emergency/Memorial Fund to help support Orly.
Southern NCSY is also creating a video message for Orly as a way to share your support for her in this difficult time. Submissions can be sent to videosfororly@gmail.com.
May Orly Bat Esther merit a full and speedy recover through all of your prayers and actions.