Important Visits

Yesterday was a special day. 

Bassam Omar, a guy from Kuwait who lives in San Diego and is ahead of me in the stem cell transplant, came to visit.  He rode on a bycicle as it's the main transportation here.  He is a very nice person and we talked about Multiple Sclerosis, Stem Cells and how we miss our kids which is the most difficult thing we need to put up with.  We skyped Carmel Turner from Australia (one of the stem cell transplant experts as I already mentioned) and she encouraged us with sweet words. Thanks Carmel!

Then we had a very special visit.  Rabbi Janusz Pawelczyk-Kissin, who had called before, also came on his bycicle.  It was a pleasure to meet him.  I told him everythig about the Jewish Community of Chile, how they sponsored the treatment, how much it costs, how fast they raised the money, how they claimed there was no doubt I should have this treatment done... and I  got emotional...  He was impressed and said the Jewish community should be very rich in Chile, to which I replied that maybe there are some rich people, but even those who don't have a lot, have a supportive soul and they do help in the way they can.   He said that was an example of tzedaka for all the Jewish Communities throughout the World.

I told him he didn't look like a typical Rabbi, because of his appearance and because he even shaked hands with us, but he said that even the most orthodox Rabbis in Germany shake hands with women.   He invited us for the shabat religious service and said though women sit separate from men, on different floors, he will manage somehow to place me with men on the first floor, since I can't climb stairs.

There are 500 Jews in Heidelberg and he is the Rabbi of the community.  

He is so adorable! (sorry Rabbi)  :o)