The single mother of a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces is selling her belongings to finance a move from Queens to the Holy Land because she says “Israel needs all of us right now.”
Elana Kirschbaum, a 53-year-old former special education teacher from Forest Hills, is raising money to stay in the war-torn country, badly scarred by the Hamas massacre that claimed 1,300 lives and left 3,000 Israelis injured.
“I want to be closer to my son and I want to be with the Jewish people in Israel,” Kirschbaum told The Post from his longtime Queens home.
“In the middle of war-torn hell, I’m still on a plane. But I have to raise money to stay there – nobody is working now, and they especially aren’t hiring teachers now because all the schools are closed.”
Kirschbaum made the move while many Americans were scrambling to fly back from Israel to the US – and he was willing to sell “almost everything I had in the world, to move there.”
“I need this money to survive,” he added.
Elana Kirschbaum moved to Israel from Queens to be closer to her son. Courtesy of Elana Kirschbaum
Friends flooded online message boards with pleas to support Kirschbaum’s weekend estate sale including “a lifetime of memories” and treasured collections from her grandmother.
“[Kirschbaum] is selling her household goods to finance her move back to her second homeland in Israel so she can be closer to her son, who is currently serving in the Israeli army,” the notice read.
“She has some beautiful antiques and other interesting and useful items. If you can go support him, please do.”
Want to help? Donate here to the UJA-Federation of New York’s emergency fund to provide critical aid to the people of Israel, working with a network of non-profit organizations helping Jewish communities around the world.
Kirschbaum was overwhelmed by the presence and support from foreigners who “wanted to support the Jews.”
“Strangers came to my house and hugged me wholeheartedly, saying, ‘You’re not alone,'” he said, recounting an exchange with a woman who bought two glassware worth a dollar.
Kirschbaum made the move while many Americans were scrambling to fly back from Israel to the US – and he was willing to sell “almost everything I had in the world, to move there.” Courtesy of Elana Kirschbaum
Although friends begged him to postpone the move forever, Kirschbaum was determined to contemplate the evil.
“It’s very comfortable here in New York. But life is not meant to be comfortable – life is meant to be challenging, good and bad. I have learned to fight back. I can’t just sit here and wait,” he said, explaining the feeling of helplessness in the interior.
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“I don’t think I deserve it right now, sitting on the sofa and watching the news and posting on social media. I want to be practical and helpful.”
Her 23-year-old son, David, works in high tech but is called to battle alongside many husbands, fathers, new grandfathers and even 95-year-olds.
The mom admits that while she will miss the pizza, Chinese food and pumpkin spice cream, it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. Courtesy of Elana Kirschbaum
“Everybody wears a uniform,” he said.
Kirschbaum prayed for everyone on the front lines and behind the scenes to “keep everyone on the front lines in high spirits.”
He admits that while he will miss the pizza, Chinese food and pumpkin spice cream, it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
David Kirschbaum, a tech worker, is called to battle. Facebook
With many airlines suspending direct routes to Israel, Kirschbaum’s biggest concern is being able to fly out in two weeks.
And he already knows the first thing he will do upon arrival, the custom of many visitors: “I will kiss the ground.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
