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It’s incredibly difficult to put into words just how much so many of the wives and children of inmates suffer. Picture the life of one young mother: her husband is currently serving a double-digit sentence while she juggles the needs of her 5 hysterical children, her own cancer treatments, endless bills, and her husband’s desperate calls from behind bars, all while she and her children endure social shame and stigma wherever they go.

But her eyes LIGHT UP as she describes how her now extended family, Aleph, has become her anchor in this “rough sea.” Whether it be covering the costs of her rent, food and gas, sending her kids to camp, advocating for – and sending visitors to – her incarcerated husband, as well as replenishing his commissary account so he can phone the kids to wish them a good night, Aleph’s team of 65+ staff work relentlessly, to ensure that she and countless other families know they are not alone or forgotten.

One lonely person once called Alephs’ emergency line on a Friday, apologizing for calling collect, saying “I watched everyone standing to use the phone, and I have no one to call. I needed to know that someone would accept my call. Thank you and have a good Shabbos!”

For 36 hours, starting on Nov. 26, friends and supporters of Aleph will join together to raise $360,000 which will be tripled by a group of donors, for a total of $1,080,000! The success of this campaign is VITAL to Aleph’s critical mission.

Can we count on you to partner with us this year for a donation? Your donation will help GIVE HOPE to so many, ensuring we can continue to be there for those in need in a timely and effective manner. You can donate now on our special campaign website: www.charidy.com/aleph. You can also choose to fulfill your pledge over a period of 12 months, if that is easier for you.

Below are several moving excerpts from the over 10,000 communications that the Aleph Institute – founded by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 5741/1981 – fields every year.

As we celebrate Kislev, the month of light culminating with the miracle of Chanukah, we want to personally thank you for giving generously to Aleph in the past and for considering this mitzvah again this year. It is because of supporters like you that we can help the thousands of Jews who feel alone, forgotten, or distant. Wishing you and your loved ones joy and infinite light in this miraculous month of Kislev.

Respectfully,

PS:  Below are 3 excerpts from the thousands of communications Aleph receives on a daily basis:

“Aleph gave me hope. The hope to realize that my family deserves a second chance. The hope to realize that every human being makes mistakes at one point in their lives. Yet mistakes do not define us. Making a mistake, does not mean we are not worthy.”

“You and other have brought me air when I didn’t know where my next breath was coming from. You have picked up my pieces when I felt feeling whole again was useless. I am not alone because of the Aleph Institute.”

“Paying for my children to go to camp this summer was the greatest help for us on all levels. School was an extremely bitter year for them and sending them to camp where they’ll have fun is what they really needed! Otherwise, they would have been home this summer. My family and I truly appreciate all the love and care you give the prisoners and their families. While my husband is a literal inmate in a prison, my children truly feel they are the real prisoners with their father’s absence. Since his incarceration, they struggle every day with this reality. Baruch Hashem, with your help they are happy being kids in camp, and this also allows me to focus on the million things I must do as a ‘single parent.'”