When 15-year-old Leah Notik from Chicago took a request from hostage Agam Berger’s mother to heart, she never expected to see such clear results. But when Agam was finally freed on her own birthday, the timing was impossible to ignore.
By Anash.org reporter
For 15-year-old Leah Notik from Chicago, mivtzoyim and inspiring others in their Yiddishkeit isn’t just an occasional activity—it’s a part of her routine. Already as a young girl, the daughter of shluchim Rabbi Levi and Pessy Notik of FREE in Chicago, decided to create her own mivtzoim route.
Every week, she sets out on her route, encouraging Jewish women and girls to light Shabbos candles and do other mitzvos. So when she heard about Agam Berger, an Israeli hostage in Gaza, she knew exactly how to help.
Back in the summer, Agam’s mother, Merav Berger, had put out a request: she was asking people from all over to dedicate mitzvos in honor of her daughter’s 20th birthday while she was still in captivity. Leah took the initiative to hear and decided to share it with as many people as possible.
She immediately began baking cookies and preparing packages and then started sharing Agam’s story and encouraging people to take on different mitzvos, lighting Shabbos candles, giving tzedaka or making a bracha on the cookies in the merit of Agam.
Then, on Thursday, Rosh Chodesh Shevat (February 1), as Leah was celebrating her own birthday, Agam was finally freed.
For Leah and her family, the timing was not lost on them and was nothing short of miraculous. “Never think that you’re too insignificant to make an impact,” Leah’s father told Anash.org.
Thank you for sharing. The cookies especially, as a personal touch & a warm connection between people. And an easy Mitzva for the recipient- how creative & wise!
Taking action, and putting your heart and soul into it is so special.
May you always see revealed results of your efforts.
With everything going on around us, thank you for sharing such a beautiful story. Please share more positive stories!