By COLlive reporter
A photo posted on COLlive.com on Monday sparked the interest of many as it showed a boy wearing a face mask while he meets the Rebbe at Lubavitch World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway.
It was taken on 27 Tammuz 5749 (July 30, 1989) during “Sunday Dollars” when people from all walks of life would briefly pass by the Rebbe to receive a blessing and a dollar bill to distribute to tzedaka.
After one or more possible identifications were mentioned, the boy’s identity was confirmed as Menachem Ehrental. “Moving photo of my childhood friend,” wrote frum Israeli radio host Menachem Toker.
Ehrental was the oldest child of Chaim and Miri Ehrental, residents of Jerusalem. At the age of 2, Menachem was diagnosed with leukemia (blood cancer) which he battled until his tragic passing at the age of 15.
During the heartbreaking ordeal, his parents realized there were few places they could turn to for support. After his passing, they decided to create Zichron Menachem, Israel’s leading provider of support services to children with cancer under the age of 25 and their families.
Since its founding in 1990, Zichron Menachem has served 35,874 children of all religions and backgrounds with the help they need most, be it information, a second opinion from their “clinic of hope”, or a break from the punishing routine of medical appointments.
“Zichron Menachem is like running into a G-d-sent angel, who takes you in his arms, holds you as tight as he can, makes you feel so close together,” said Racheli, a cancer survivor.
In 1996, Chassidic singer Dedi Graucher presented the song “Menachem” in memory of Menachem Ehrental on his album “Vohavto” produced by Yossi Green.
To learn more, visit zichron.org/en
we need sooo badly Moshiach. C’Mon already let’s get our acts together.
Interesting to learn where the name, Zichron Menachem, comes from. One of my colleagues donates a lot of time to this group when the kids come to England every year. Unfortunately, he now needs a refuah himself from the Coronavirus, Faivel Yirmiyahu ben Gavriella
So interesting to have more than one question answered in one article.
And incredible how his parents channeled their grief into something beautiful
Now!!!
1. Both names are menachem. 2. When I heard that song from dedi, I thought that menachem, he was talking about the rebbe.