No Woman Stands Alone: A Day to Live, Love, Laugh
There’s an elephant in every room we walk into. A weight we carry. A story we hesitate to tell. But not here. Not at Aleph’s Live, Love, Laugh event. Because in this room, we all understand—no explanations needed.
On Sunday, January 26, more than 60 women gathered at the Moxy Hotel in Manhattan’s East Village for an unforgettable event hosted by Aleph’s Family Services team. These women, all impacted by the incarceration of a family member, came together from across the country to enjoy a special day of self-care, connection, and rejuvenation.
For many, just getting there was a challenge—single moms scrambling for babysitters, women stretching their last dollars for travel, others simply unsure if they deserved a day for themselves. But Aleph made it happen—covering airfare, travel costs, and whatever it took to ensure that every woman who needed to be there, was there. Many knew each other through our support groups and some had only ever met virtually, but in person, they embraced like lifelong friends. They laughed, they cried, and—for the first time in a long time—they exhaled.
The women were greeted with a lavish spread of decadent desserts, soups, and salads. Shiffy Lichtenstein, director of Aleph’s Angels program, led a transformative workshop on confronting one’s inner critic, guiding the women through a therapeutic exercise of writing letters to their future selves. As she spoke, the room was still, with women hanging onto her every word: “Our neshama [soul] will forever remain untouched by our traumas… No pain, no choice, no past mistake can ever dim the divine light within. Today is a day to acknowledge our own strengths—the beautiful parts of us that make us who we are.”
Then, laughter erupted. A drum circle filled the space with rhythm and joy, as women let go of their worries and simply felt—the beat, the energy, the healing. And finally, the day wrapped up with each woman creating her own “take-home” Tu B’Shvat fruit platter.
It was a day overflowing with love, support, and sisterhood—proof that, with the right community behind you, anything is possible. As one woman tearfully shared, “This community allows me to feel whatever I need to feel. And when I step back into my reality, I feel empowered knowing the women here have my back.”
The next day, some of the women chose to stay an extra day in New York to join Aleph on an optional tour of Crown Heights, Brooklyn—the heart of Chabad Lubavitch and home to Aleph’s Family Services headquarters. It was an exciting day for the women to explore, shop, and experience firsthand what makes the community so unique.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of those who believe in Aleph’s mission. Because of this support, these women can finally take a deep breath, step away from the weight of their realities, and find solace among those who truly understand. This was more than an event—it was a lifeline, a reminder that no woman has to stand alone.
