Together in Grief, United in Compassion

Shailee on the left with his brother during one of the Chabad's activity.

This past week, our community was shaken by the heartbreaking tragedy of the Bachar family, who lost their beloved son, Shailee, in a devastating accident. It’s the kind of loss that no family should ever endure;and no words can truly comfort.

While we cannot undo the pain, we can come together to share the burden. And that’s exactly what happened.

In just a short time, our community raised $3,600 to help the Bachar family with the heavy expenses of burial. But this was more than a financial effort; it was a powerful display of unity, care, and compassion. Each contribution was a message of love. A reminder that in times of sorrow, we stand together.

We are deeply grateful to the following individuals and families whose generosity made this possible:

Gavriela Novakoff, Fadi Abdallah, Yaakov Harari, Todd Collins, Vikkicar Jenkins, Ludy Milne, Liad Geffen, Nir Jacob, Tal Ofir, Asher Perez, Steve Hornbeak, Michelle Lauter, Boaz Sultani, Tien Lien, Idan Memia, Dafna Hunter, Ruby Eskenazi, Elaina Spiker, Mitch Schranz, Yoni Glaser, Anat Mor, Malka Schaad, Ari and Chani Herman, Tamara Breitowitz, Shoshana Glazer, Natalie Grossman, Avidan Itzhak, Ben Yaacov, Stacey Plichta-Kellar, Cynthia Tessler, Ariel Riber, Bob and Susan Werby, Aviva Aviram-Weiss, Malka Benharosh, Sara Manalakos, Amir Cohen, Tomer Tal, Ifat Hines, Jodi Schwartz, Avraham and Karen Ashkenazi, Michael and Roslyn Barney, and Ruth Stenlicht.

Every name tells a story of someone who chose to act with kindness during someone else's darkest hour.

In Jewish tradition, chesed shel emet; kindness for the deceased; is considered the highest form of compassion, as it is done with no expectation of return. Each of you who gave participated in this sacred act.

May Shailee’s memory be a blessing. May the love and support shown to his family bring them some measure of comfort. And may we continue to be a community that leads with heart; especially when it matters most.