‘B’lev Echad’ Special Needs Organization Leaders Visit the Homes of Gedolei Yisrael Ahead of the Annual Retreat

Hours before the launch of the anticipated annual retreat, the chairman and founder of the “B’lev Echad” organization, Rabbi David Weitman, visited the homes of Gedolei Yisrael.

Rabbi Weitman, as he does every year before the retrear, received brachos and guidance ahead of the complex logistical operation of the program, which brings joy to hundreds of special children and their families.

The Gedolei Yisrael also heard with excitement about the new initiative: the beginning of the writing of a sefer Torah for B’lev Echad”s Special Child Center.

B’lev Echad says the Nofeshon is not just another summer camp; it is a week of freedom, a breath of fresh air, and a respite for families who contend with ceaseless challenges throughout the year, and a week of an empowering and unforgettable experience for the children themselves.

The organization’s representatives entered the inner sanctum of the homes of the Gedolei Yisrael: the Rosh Yeshiva Hagaon Harav Dov Lando, Shlita; Rosh Yeshiva Hagaon Harav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Shlita, Rosh Yeshiva Hagaon Harav Rabbi Baruch Dov Povarsky, Shlita; Hagaon Harav Shlomo Machpud, Shlita; the Modzitzer Rebbe, Shlita; Hagaon Harav Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Edelstein, Shlita; and Hagaon Harav Yitzchak Shaul Kanievsky, Shlita.

During the visits, Rabbi Weitman presented the gedolim with a comprehensive overview of the organization’s extensive activities. He described how “B’lev Echad” has become a second family for thousands of children, providing them with support throughout the year — from accompaniment in hospitals, through a network of dedicated volunteers who visit the children’s homes, to the pinnacle project: the Special Child Center, which serves as a warm home and a 24/7 support framework for children who need it.

The Gedolei Yisrael listened with great attention and visible contentment to the reports on the devotion of the staff and volunteers. They expressed their admiration for the scope of the work and the depth of the organization’s impact on the lives of the children and families, and they showered their warmest blessings on the chairman, the management, and all those involved in this holy work. “A great zchus has fallen to you to bring joy to these pure souls,” they said. “May it be His will that you see blessing and success in all your endeavors.”

The crowning moment of the meetings was when Rabbi Weitman spoke excitedly about the organization’s new and moving spiritual project: the beginning of the writing of a Sefer Torah that will be brought into the Special Child Center. He described the recent kesivas ha’osios (writing of the letters) ceremony and the immense significance of bringing the light of the Torah into the children’s home. The gedolim were especially moved by the initiative, noting that there is nothing greater than connecting Jewish children to the Torah, and that the Torah scroll will serve as a protection, a blessing, and a source of spiritual light in their homes.
The organization’s management left the visits strengthened and encouraged, with a “brachah for the journey” from the Gedolim.