Help a child stay in her Jewish home

Help Leah continue to live at home with her family.

Leah (name changed for privacy), is a 13 year old warmhearted girl whose family I know well for many years.

Her home is a traditionally Jewish home, where Shabbat and Jewish holidays are respected. Leah and her family often attend the local Shul.

Leah lives at home with her mom, her little brother and baby sister.

Leah's father lives separately with his current girlfriend, who has religious, possibly evangelist leanings.

When Leah visits them, she is pressured and 'encouraged' to go to Sunday school and to the Church camp.

Although Leah has spent Pesach each year with her Torah observant relatives in Brooklyn, last year they did not allow her to go, and insisted that she spend that period of time in his home, which resulted in her whole family not going.

Recently, after the father was questioned on the reason for his lack of support for Leah's tuition and needs, he countered with a court hearing to in order to gain custody.

Since he has sent proof that he earns only $11 per hour, its seems probable that their church is supporting and encouraging this case, helping to cover the large expense.

Leah wants only to stay at home with her mom, her brother and sister, and with the care, support and warmth of her grandmother and uncle who live nearby.

Just the thought of being forced to leave her home causes deep distress and worry to Leah and to her family. This pressure is beginning to undermine the stability in her life and that of her family.

To counter this threat, Leah's mom had to pull together over ten thousand dollars to pay for a lawyer.

A court date was set for three days after Yom Kippur, when they were unexpectedly presented with an additional lawyer fee of $5000, to be paid before the court case could begin.

The judge ruled that the case be dismissed.

Leah felt that life would finally return to normal.

Unfortunately this was not to be.

They appealed, and the case has been taken to a higher court.

The father may be counting on the fact that Leah's mother will run low on resources, so that he can prove her c'v incapable or unworthy of supporting her child.

Having exhausted every possible source of funds, and after friends and family contributed their personal savings and earnings, mom and Grandmother still found it necessary to take out loans in order to cover the costs.

Now that they are preparing for a second court case, they must come up with another initial fee of $10 000, which will likely go up to around $25 000 or more.

They also need to pay back that which they took on loan.

Leah's mom has felt bullied, overwhelmed, devastated and scared, in this battle for her daughters future.

She needs our help and our support at this difficult time.

They now need to turn to you, and the broader Jewish Community to assist them in this.

Any amount that you contribute will be of great value to Leah and to her family.

May your consideration for the well being of this Jewish child

cause consideration from above for each and every one of His precious children.

So that our kindness tip the scale, to merit the immediate Geulah Hashleima, now, in our days!

In appreciation

Rivka