Re: Reluctant Review of Miracle Next Door (Parshas
Vayigash)
Dear Editor,
I fully appreciate that a book like The Miracle Next
Door is no bowl of cherries to review. However, there
were some issues in your review that both Yona and I felt had
to be addressed.
It is obvious that the Ribbono Shel Olom is central in
this story of Yona and Yisroel Meir and how she has accepted,
with love and joy, her beloved son, with all his medical
problems. In your review, Hashem is not mentioned even once.
(See excerpted review written by a non-Jew, below.)
Another point which is misleading is your assumption, from
just looking at the photos, that Yissie is presently riding a
bike, swimming and walking. To my great sorrow, he is not as
yet capable of doing any of these things. In the picture, he
is seated on a special bike, belted into the seat, with
someone hovering nearby. He can't pedal the bike.
As far as swimming, he is in the pool for hydrotherapy, wears
floats and is carefully supervised by two people — his
mother and the instructor. He has just started standing alone
in the pool. As far as walking, he can't keep his balance and
has to be supported under the arms in order to walk. He can
never even be left standing alone.
Boruch Hashem, he has come a long way since he had a trache,
was constantly connected to an oxygen tank, couldn't eat and
had to be repeatedly rushed to the hospital with life-
threatening emergencies.
We pray that he will indeed fulfill all your prophecies.
Despite your "happy ending" being premature, we feel that the
real message of the book and of Yissie's life is a joyous
one. Our emphasis is on the spiritual journey and the
closeness to Hashem.
Thanking you, sincerely,
Malka Adler
(author of the book in conjunction with Yona Yakobovitz, the
heroine)
And a non-solicited testimonial from a non-Jewish reader,
included in Malka's letter:
"I got Yona's book last Friday and stayed up until 1 a.m.
that night with it. I skimmed through first . . . looking at
every picture and then began to read every page and use the
glossary . . .
Well, it is one of the most moving, inspirational,
captivating books I have ever read. This book reinforced my
feeling that G-d does handpick the parents when He has a
little one with problems to find a place for.
Mimi Barden
Incidentally, to make the review less reluctant for the
readers, Miracle Next Door is No. 14 on a chareidi
Best Seller List!
AND NOW, A TIP
From a reader in Kiryat Sefer who doesn't have a dryer.
"I laid out my children's clothing, including tricot
underwear and cotton socks, on a collapsible laundry rack in
my living room, and then turned a fan on. No, not the heater.
By morning, all was dry, with a minimum of electricity
expended."
C.S.
Note: fans are also excellent for drying washed floors.
