That’s Life

The other day I went to my bank in Cedarhurst to deposit a check. As I walked in, I saw a freshly delivered stack of copies of The Jewish Star. I slipped one under my arm and filled out the deposit slip. When it was my turn, the teller refused to take the check since it was not made out to my legal name. She asked me if I had anything on me that said “Aviva,” and I dejectedly responded in the negative. As I was about to turn away, I had an epiphany: I spread out the newspaper, flipped to the advice column and said, “There! Aviva Rizel! That’s me!” The teller took the check.

Aviva Rizel

aka Ask Aviva

Dear That’s Life,

It has been said many times before: it takes a village to raise a child. In this case, it may take many villages to save one.

Members of the village at large gathered last night, Motza’ei Shabbat, at a home in Woodmere to help alleviate the urgent need of several families in our area. Village elders attended as well, pledging their support and offering assistance. One could say that the meeting was a moment of “all hands on deck.” If you were there, you were expected to roll up your sleeves and prepare to work. And we were.

I could not imagine, and with G-d’s help never will, what my reaction would be to finding out that I, or heaven forbid, one of my children, was stricken with cancer. And yet, it is a reality being faced by two families right now. The two cases involve patients of differing ages and genders but have two things in common for sure: they have leukemia and they are Jews.

With the sense of urgency caused by the end of the school year, summer vacation plans and the early September Yom Tov schedule, the planning of a bone marrow drive needs to take place as early as possible. There simply is no time to waste. People are in need of our help and while many things can be said of the Five Towns community (some of it said here and some of it true), it can also be said that when help is needed, help is there. The genetic closeness of the Jewish community is not mythological, as generations of marrying within the fold has produced a nation consisting of a truly physically linked people.

“Quite literally, it’s in the blood,” said Dr. Adam Lish, a drive coordinator and a bone marrow donor himself.

Any one of us can be a match. A bone marrow drive last November had almost 1,000 people tested. The drive, held at HAFTR, was truly a community-wide event. Virtually every school in the area sent students to serve as volunteers and parents to be tested. Statistically, every 1,000 people yields one match. Three matches have been found from that one drive alone.

“Every single person who does this increases the chances of getting a match — guaranteed,” said Benzion Fuchs, who attended the meeting.

The bottom line, therefore, is clear. It does not matter which shul you go to, which school you send your children to or which rabbi you hold from: everyone needs to be tested.

The sense of urgency is felt in Riverdale as well, with a member of their community desperately in need of a bone marrow transplant. Three drives are scheduled, including one at the Salute to Israel Day Parade.

The need is not only for cheeks to swab, but for funds to pay for those tests as well. One kit costs $54 to process and while many drives are funded by private donors, there are many expenses to cover. Donations come in many sizes — but no donation is too small. Empty the tzedakah box you have in your kitchen that your 15-year-old made when he was in kindergarten and bring it with you when you get tested. Empty the change compartment in your car and donate it when you get swabbed. Or, if you’re me, check all of your pockets: there’s more in there than you realize and it all adds up. All donations are gratefully accepted.

Keep the date of May 30th open. There will be a massive drive that day in multiple locations in our area as well as a second drive on June 13th. The entire testing process, from walking in to the building to walking out, takes about 20 minutes and it is time we can all spare.

Sitting in on that meeting, the room overflowing with people who are ready to do everything they can, was one of those moments that makes me proud to live here. As for each one of us, from those who attended to those who read this column, it is all hands on deck. After all, we all live in this village together.

MLW