Helping the KZ Elderly

Hi, it’s Ethan H. here. We just finished helping an elderly couple (man= 80 yrs., woman=59). The two have lived in their apartment for over 40 years, and have been practically immobile for the last two. So we American and Kazakhstani college-aged kids tried to help in any way we could, from scrubbing the floors to dusting the books. Both were very appreciative of our help and treated us as they would their own grandchildren. They also praised Hesed for the assistance it provides and told us “they do everything for us.”

The couple had lost their two grown children (late 20s) in an accident a couple years ago, and the woman told me I reminded her of them. She said she wanted to adopt me, which I laughed off, but as we parted at the end of our service work, I saw her pain. She was crying and held my hand and didn’t want to let go.

We were asked by the elderly couple if we were Jewish and that identity that we all share helped to connect us even though we had never met before. The fact that all of us are Jewish—the woman could speak Yiddish, and she read the challah cover that we presented as a gift (“shabbat”, she said)—helped strengthen our connection.