The Chanukas Habayis, which took place on November 15th, marked the completion of a beautiful new wing, added above the existing Respite Center on Rechov Ha’or, right behind Seeach Sod’s main building on Rechov Yirmiyahu. The event was attended by representatives of Bituach Leumi, the Welfare Ministry and other foundations who partnered with this project.
The program began with a tour of the Girls’ Vocational Training Center, which is located beneath the Respite Center. The guests admired the quality and dignity of the work performed by the special workers in Revach Naki Laundromat and the Lilac Soap Factory – businesses on Seeach Sod’s premises that enable men and women with special needs to work at respectable and enjoyable jobs.
The guests then toured the older Respite Center wing, which has been existence for 3 years and then continued on to the next floor, to the newly completed wing. The spacious setup, magnificent interior design, and carefully chosen furniture elicited enthusiastic responses from the visitors. It was clear that a lot of effort, thought and resources was invested to make this wing a five-star hotel for kids.
The guest of honor, Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau, was honored with putting up the mezuzah. It was while he was affixing the mezuzah that he remarked: “There is a difference of opinion regarding the correct way to affix a mezuzah: some poskim say the mezuzah needs to be installed horizontally while others say it needs to be vertical. The final ruling is to put it up diagonally, as a compromise between the two differing opinions. This raises a question because when do we ever find a compromise in halachic matters? But this is a great lesson for us: whenever we enter a leave a room, we should remember to bend, to maintain a measure of humbleness. How appropriate to install a mezuzah in a place like Seeach Sod – where the staff members truly bend over backward, and with great self-sacrifice, take care of the needs of the handicapped!
Rabbi Dovid Muller, representative of the Donald Berman Foundation of Montreal, Canada, a prominent partner in this project, was also honored with affixing a mezuzah. Mr. Shmuel Weinglass, director of Bituach Leumi and Mr. Gidon Shalom, director of the Welfare Ministry were honored with cutting the ribbon and Mr. Shlomo Elyashir, director of the Welfare Ministry’s Disabilities Division, unveiled the plaque.
The Pirchei Seeach Choir delighted the crowd with a beautiful song that was especially composed in honor of the Chanukas Habayis. Once again, the choir awed the audience with their professional performance, conveying the secret of this institution: when it comes to advancing the special-needs community, the sky’s the limit at Seeach Sod!
Greetings were relayed by MK Rabbi Yisrael Eichler, Rabbi Dovid Muller, Mr. Shmuel Weinglass, Mr. Shlomo Elyashir, Mr. Gidon Shalom, and City Council member Rabbi Yitzchok Pindrus. The common thread that ran through all their speeches was praise for the Seeach Sod staff’s dedication to their mission and particularly the Respite Center staff members, thanks to whom parents can enjoy much-needed breaks while leaving their children in loving hands.
Rabbi Shimon Levy, CEO of Seeach Sod, conveyed his appreciation all the partners who helped fund this project: the Welfare Ministry, Bituach Leumi, Keren Shalem, the Donald Berman Foundation, the Weinberg Foundation and private donors. He also recalled how his father, Rabbi Dov Levy z”l, was trying to come up with a name for his new school over forty years ago. One Shabbos he came home from shul, his face shining, and declared: “I found the right name for this institution: Seeach Sod”. This name was inspired by the words written in the tefillah of Keser: “K’noam seeach sod sarfei kodesh” which alludes to the secret utterances of the heavenly angels. “Our institution was established for children who are as pure as angels who never sinned,” explained the legendary founder of Seeach Sod. Now at the Chanukas Habayis, Rabbi Shimon Levy concluded: “And our workers too can certainly be called angels!”