When we first got married, David and I dreamed of starting a family. I am a preschool teacher, I’ve always loved children and couldn’t wait until I could have little ones of my own. But year after year, that dream seemed further out of reach.
After countless doctor visits and failed treatments, our doctor sat us down and explained that in-vitro fertilization (IVF) would likely be our only option to conceive. Those words carried a crushing weight. IVF was something we couldn’t afford on our own, and we wondered how we would ever make it happen.
The financial burden was too much for us to take on, and for the first time, I truly feared our dream of having children might slip away forever.
A friend told us about Jewish Family Service and The Priya Fund, a program that helps couples like us pay for fertility treatments. We applied for a grant, and to our astonishment, they were able to provide us with the funds to cover most of our fertility treatment—giving us not just financial relief, but the encouragement to keep going when we felt we couldn’t.
The treatment worked. Our baby boy was born on the 8th night of Chanukah, and I often think about the moment I heard his first cry. David and I held onto him and we cried too, overwhelmed by the miracle we had prayed for.
We named him Matan, the Hebrew word for “gift,” because that’s exactly what he is— a gift from God and from our community.
This Chanukah, Matan will celebrate his 3rd birthday. When I see his bright smile or hear him giggle, I think of the families who donated to JFS and made this dream a reality for us, and I’m reminded of the power of community.
Every year for Chanukah, I make a recurring gift to JFS because I know there are so many families who are still waiting for their Matan. Every gift—big or small—helps bring services to those who need it most. Please consider donating to the Meeting the Moment Campaign because I know JFS will be there to meet their moment of need, just like they did for us.
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary community and for helping others turn their prayers into reality.
Donate to the comprehensive $40M Meeting the Moment campaign and help build a foundation for the next 75 years.