A Message of Life – Starting the New Year – 5785

Shalom all,

We are about to enter the Biblical Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25), which begins at sundown today.

We are thankful beyond words for the blessings that God has bestowed upon us and for the decisions for life that have been made by many, despite difficult circumstances.

Orit and I recently shared in the United States and Canada about the work of A Future and A Hope. People were both surprised and thankful for what has been done and is planned for the future.

Sometimes, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. An article appeared yesterday in Ynet news in Hebrew, which, when translated, reads:  “New Life in the Shadow of the War.” As you scroll down, there is a moving photo of a premie born during week-26. The article tells of the early birth of a child weighing only 570 grams, in June, as the Swords of Iron war against Hamas intensified. Born in Bnei Zion Hospital in Haifa, the premature infant was released to home only last week.

But it is the amazing photo taken by a nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit, Maria Goroshko, that is the heart of this article. While changing the sterile dressing, Goroshko said: “Suddenly, the premature baby extended her hand, like a call for help to hold on to life.” She was awestruck and took the picture, hence the title of the news article.

The photo was submitted on behalf of the hospital’s neonatal unit to a conference photo competition last month, sponsored by the Israel Society for Quality in Medicine. The competition has been established to mark the challenges faced by the healthcare system this past year in light of the events since October 7 and the ongoing war. The photo won third place in the competition. The hospital director congratulated the medical team for providing quality treatment and its sensitivity to parents and premies during this challenging time. The child was described as “a fighter.”

Goroshko shared, “Our job is to save life and to give them the opportunity to hold onto life…Premies don’t extend their hand this way, and suddenly, she extends her hand like calling for our help. From the point of view of our medical team, the photo, more than anything, illustrates the tiny premie’s grip on life. And all this is occurring during a difficult year of war for everyone. This photo moves many people on our team.”

The tiny hand of this child, open and reaching up, is a reminder to all of us that we are uniquely made, fashioned by our Creator in the darkness of the womb, where all appears as light to Him. Our handprints, like our fingerprints, are one of a kind. There is no one else like us. We raise our hands to praise, to worship, and to adore. In so doing, we say: “Look, God. This is me, the one You created to give You honor and glory. Thank you for giving me life.”

This is why A Future and A Hope was established. “A life is a life, no matter how small.” (Dr. Seuss).

May this New Year, 5785, bring with it an abundance of good health, strength, wisdom, and grace, along with favor in the sight of God and man.

Thank you for your support of the work of A Future and A Hope, both spiritual and practical.

With blessings always,

Marvin (for us all) Note: If you want to read the article from YNet news in English, click the link above. Once the Hebrew page is displayed, right-click on the page and see if you have an option to translate the article to English.