Rockets explode nearly every day in the Israeli city of Sderot, near the Gaza border.
Yosef Eliezrie wanted to help. Even if he had to do it from his hospital bed.
While recovering last month from a shingles infection, the 21-year-old from Yorba Linda started a campaign to raise awareness of the town's plight.
Taking Worldly Work To The Web
Rockets explode nearly every day in the Israeli city of Sderot, near the Gaza border.
Yosef Eliezrie wanted to help. Even if he had to do it from his hospital bed.
While recovering last month from a shingles infection, the 21-year-old from Yorba Linda started a campaign to raise awareness of the town’s plight.
His father, Rabbi David Eliezrie, directs the North Orange County Chabad Center, part of the worldwide organization that provides educational and charitable programs for the Jewish community. He enlisted his computer-savvy son to join the efforts to help the besieged town in Israel by building a fundraising Web site (www.helpsderot.com).
The unexpected illness and hospitalization didn’t slow him down.
“Yosef really pulled it off,” the rabbi said. “Even if he weren’t sick, the fact he did it in 10 days was mind-boggling.”
On Sunday, father and son spoke in their living room about the people of Sderot, who have endured seven years of rocket attacks from Palestinian militants. Just that morning, a missile hit a college near the town.
Since the Islamic militant group Hamas took control of Gaza last month, the violence has escalated. “Red alert” warning sirens are heard almost daily, giving people less than a minute to run for cover before the explosions. The Israeli Army has retaliated by launching air strikes against Hamas military operations. Civilians on both sides have been killed.
Many have left Sderot, a working-class city of 24,000 about a mile from the border of the Gaza Strip. Those who have stayed are terrorized by panic and dread. Their houses, schools and fire stations have been hit by missiles. Children sleep together in bomb shelters. At one point, 70 high school students from Sderot were reportedly bused to an area out of missile range just to complete their exams.
Chabad centers worldwide, including one in Sderot, have donated food, shelter and money to fortify the town’s schools and buildings to better protect them from the attacks. The efforts needed an organized Web site with updates and donation information.
That’s where Yosef Eliezrie came in.
Eliezrie has battled his own internal war against cancer since being diagnosed with leukemia two years ago. He endured five rounds of chemotherapy. One relapse. A bone-marrow transplant. Complications from a weakened immune system, including the infection that put him in Children’s Hospital of Orange County for 10 days last month. Yet he brushes those setbacks aside to focus on people he has never met.
“What’s important is not necessarily me,” Eliezrie said. “What’s important is the people in Sderot. They don’t get any mercy. In the morning their alarm clock is a missile exploding. It kills me to hear these stories.”
At CHOC last month, Eliezrie had computer access in his room only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. With his computer and a cell phone, he coordinated videos, photos, a letter of thanks from the Sderot mayor and a Web diary written by a resident. The site was ready to launch in about a week, and has already raised a few thousand dollars.
One of Eliezrie’s favorite doctors, Leonard Sender, said he’s not surprised by the young man’s accomplishments.
“He can drive people nuts in his perseverance trying to make things happen,” said Sender, director of oncology at UC Irvine and CHOC. “He really has a good soul. It doesn’t surprise me he’s trying to do something innovative to connect people.”
Eliezrie said he plans to visit Sderot at Passover next year, and hopes the violence will have stopped.
“It’s like someone is hurting your brothers and sisters,” he said. “If this is something that will tell people about this, hopefully more people will help out.”
Dovid Lerner
Yosef, it’s good to see your’e keeping up the good work. Feel better
Moishe Raksin
Your doing gr8 Yosef
Chaim Mentz
Anyone who Knows Yosef …. Knows his Heart and Neshama is filled with ONLY GOOD! Keep up the great work. G-d Bless you!
Chaim Mentz
Chavi and Menachem R.
Yosef, your courage, perseverance and stamina are truly remarkable. You’re an inspiration to us all. Keep up the good work.
Yakov Kirschenbaum
BS”D
Very impressive. Keep it up Yosef! Hashem should send you a speedy Refuah Sheleimoh.
Yakov Kirschenbaum
BS”D
Very impressive. Keep it up Yosef! Hashem should send you a speedy Refuah Sheleimoh.
Benny
Awesome!
shmuli
beautiful kidush hashem
Aaron Drew
Yosef, This is absolutely amazing. Gld to hear that you are up to this even with everything you have been through. This is a major Kiddush lubavitch.
Beautiful!
Beautiful!
May G-d grant you success in this task and all future ones.
shmulik s.
wow great job yosef keep it up.
shmulik s. smicha australia
True Fan
Way to go Yosef!!!
Levi
dear g-d,
have mercy on on your child who is merciful to your children!
Joshua Frank from Germany
Yosef, this is great!! You make us all happy! Keep it up!