On Wednesday, Israel was engulfed in forest fires that burnt down trees throughout the Jewish state. But it wasn’t just nature that was destroyed. Ohad Lipnick, an engineer in the Samarian town of Shavei Shomron (Return to Samaria), lost his factory, which he had no insurance on.

No stranger to suffering

Devastating tragedies are nothing new to Ohad. That’s because only a year and a half ago, Ohad was driving back home with his wife and five children on Road 557. When suddenly, an Arab driver lost control of his car after excessive speeding and entered the opposite lane, blocking the path of the Lipnicks’ vehicle. The two vehicles crashed head-on.

His 11-year-old daughter Ori z”l died along with his 8-year-old son Ori z”l. His wife, Shirley was seriously injured and was in a coma for two weeks until she regained consciousness. Shirley suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung. She also suffered a stroke following the accident and has is still not fully functional.

Ohad broke both legs and was wheelchairbound for 5 weeks.

The Eulogy

At their funeral, Ohad made an emotional speech addressing his two deceased children: “Ori, you were our senior helper at home. You always loved to volunteer. You would cause such a smile that we would have it the whole Shabbat.

“Roi, it’s impossible to separate from you, the glow of your face and your happiness. How much joy you brought. I will miss you at the Shabbat table. You always knew all the answers. I so wanted you to read on your Bar Mitzvah. You loved the Torah with all your heart.”

“I separate from you in your mother’s name and mine. The Mishnah says that a man must make a brachah (bleesing) on the bad just as he makes a brachah on the good. Not to ask why just to say thank you. Guard them by You [Hashem] until we join them.”

Peicing his life back together

Last spring, Ohad finally went back to work as an engineer at his factory that manufactures specialized equipment. The business was going well and Ohad was finally beginning to feel like a fully functioning man going back to work every day and providing for his family. Things were looking up for the Lipnicks.

Then something happened

On Wednesday, July 18, 2019, Arabs across Israel burned the country’s forests. Hundreds of acres of forestry were decimated in a matter of hours. One of those brush fires reached Ohad’s town of Shavei Shomron. Over 30 families had to be evacuated from their homes.

But the blaze didn’t end at the trees. Ohad’s entire factory, the only source of his livelihood, was burned to the ground. He didn’t have enough time to rescue his equipment which is worth tens of thousands of shekels.

Don’t let Ohad fall again

Ohad needs prayers. Yes, prayers are important. But in this case, prayers aren’t enough. Helping him put his life back together is within your control.

How you can help:

Israel365 are in constant contact with Ohad. The organization is doing what it can to help him restore his dignity and start providing for his family who has been through so much suffering.

Not only can you ease that suffering, but you can also give him the hope he needs to carry on. Yes, really.

This is your chance to show Ohad, his family and all residents of his town who were also affected by the fire, that the Jewish people have friends among the nations who are there to help in times of need.

Any amount that you can donate today will make a huge difference in his life and that of his community that wants to help, but might not have the funds.

Even if it’s not a lot of money, just knowing that so many different friends of Israel contributed to help build his life back together again can be enough to give him peace of mind. Peace of mind knowing that when tragedy strikes Israel, the nations have his back.

In Proverbs, it says: He who is generous to the poor makes a loan to Hashem; He will repay him his due (Proverbs 19:17)

This is a great opportunity to have your dues repaid by Hashem.

You are uniquely blessed to be on the side of a giver. Don’t waste this rare opportunity. Ohad needs your help today.

To donate, click on the banner below: