A World of Kindness: A Mother's Legacy Inspires a Life-Saving Organization

"Thank Hashem greatly, in our 15 years of operation, we have heard countless moving stories like the sand on the seashore that have happened in the organization. I'll start with a recent one, to give you an idea of how much divine assistance we have," says Areleh Weingarten, the manager of the 'Derech Miriam' kindness organization, at the beginning of our conversation. "We had a patient who needed a very, very expensive medication. After one of his treatments, one of our volunteers drove him home, as he regularly does with devotion. They left the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital, chatted between themselves, and he shared his great need for the medication, explaining that he's unable to obtain it and that this could have serious implications for his life and health.

"The volunteer told him he would try to help, and if an idea came up, he would happily update him. They picked up another patient along the way, this time from Shaarei Zedek, and drove towards his home in Pisgat Ze'ev. The patient from Shaarei Zedek heard their conversation and told them that a few months ago, he had purchased that exact medication but, thank Hashem, no longer needed it. Naturally, he gave him the medication, and it can be said that in a way, his life was saved because of it. Beyond that, the patient went into treatment with great faith in the process's success because he saw firsthand that the preliminary treatment, which he too was supposed to undergo, was very successful, and his friend ended up not needing the medicine after all. Faith, joy, and confidence are known to be very important in the success of any medical treatment, especially with cancer."

So as mentioned, there are many emotional stories about 'Derech Miriam', but now we will also tell about its character and activity. The 'Derech Miriam' organization was established in 2002, exactly 15 years ago, in memory of Rebbetzin Miriam Weingarten, a mother of 13 from Jerusalem, who passed away from cancer. "During her treatments, when she was in hospitals," her son Areleh says, "our mother saw the great difficulty many patients had in getting to their treatments, and in consultation with my father, they decided to take action. They planned to set up an organization that would provide assistance to everyone in need, transporting any cancer patient to their treatments, free of charge, at any time they wish. 100 percent responsiveness. Our mother was sick for two years, and after her death, we worked hard to establish the organization. This is essentially her will to us, her husband, and children."

What were the first steps in establishing the organization?

"Today, there are already between 100 to 150 trips a day, but it wasn't always like this. When my father, who unfortunately is also no longer with us, initially set up the organization, he would call his friends to see who could drive patients. Today we have WhatsApp groups, phone numbers of thousands of volunteers, and more. It's an amazing transportation system that works fantastically. Our main working hours are from seven in the morning until seven in the evening. By the way, sometimes they wake me up at night. Two-thirty a.m., three a.m. People know there's a response 24/7. And that's very important. No one says - I won't call today because there probably won't be a response. People trust us so much because they know we'll always be there for them."

How do patients and their families hear about you?

"First of all – many times we reach out to patients ourselves. Our volunteers roam the oncology departments and offer help. Besides, in all oncology departments, we have well-stocked and clean coffee corners, and there is also information about us there. Another source is that social workers tell patients about us. And basically, most people know because it simply spreads from one person to another. That's life. Additionally, we have a website that's easily found on Google, which contains all the information. Anyone who connects with us and wants to contribute to the organization's activities can contact us through the website's details."

I conducted the conversation with Areleh at their center, on Zikhron Ya'akov Street in Jerusalem. Throughout my life, I've been in bustling and lively places, but this is undoubtedly one of the busiest. Non-stop phone calls, people coming in and out, and a blessed hustle surrounding everything. Amid all this, I asked Areleh in what other ways they assist the patients connected with them. "Thank Hashem, we help in many ways. Praise Hashem for giving us the possibility and strength. We mention the names of the patients in public prayers at the Western Wall. This takes place with a large crowd every Saturday night before the blessings for the new month. It greatly strengthens the patients, both secular and religious alike.

"Additionally, we have constant contact with each and every patient. We have special forms through which various requests can be made. Vacations, monthly financial assistance, help at home with cleaning and meal preparation, and we try to respond to as many requests as possible and help as much as we can. That's why every donation is important to us. Furthermore, we assist patients in obtaining MRI appointments, wigs for those who need them, medication prescriptions, as well as medications not covered by the insurance basket. We also provide 350 families with $500 vouchers twice a year - before Passover and Sukkot."

Do you have collaborations with organizations related to your activities?

"Certainly. 'Zikaron Menachem' partners with us. We do great things together. We also have full cooperation with 'Ezer Mizion' and 'Gedolim Mechayim'. Overall, all the hospitals back us up. Our coffee corners are located in all hospital departments, but our care primarily focuses on cancer patients, especially those living in Jerusalem and its surroundings. Until now, twenty thousand men and women have benefited from our services, and I want to thank our thousands of volunteers, over the years.

"By the way, there is a blessing among us, thank Hashem, that those who volunteer with us do not get sick. And it works almost 100%, with few exceptions. The most inspiring part is that we have quite a few cases of patients who recovered and started volunteering with us themselves. They know what it does and really want to share this feeling with others. By the way, you asked earlier about collaborations. Everyone in our family is involved in the organization. They try to organize donations, promote the organization, and generally help in any way possible. My brother David and I run the organization, and our sister Ruhle is the chief secretary. Indeed, all of Israel is one family, and we see this every day and hour in our organization, but the nuclear family holds special significance, and we thank Hashem that we were able to fulfill our mother's will, may her memory be a blessing, and help so many people."