Dear Friends,
thank you very much for your prayers and financial support.
I would like to send you a few words of the activities of the “Gate of Hope – Petach Tikva” Foundation in the first quarter of 2015.
We have managed to reach with the lesson based on the story of the girl Hana Brada (from the book entitled “Hana’s Suitcase” by Caren Levine) who experienced the nightmare of Holocaust, 1200 children (over 2800 children in total!). God is great!
The lessons were run in primary schools in: Rudzica, Simoradz, Ustroń (Junior High School No. 2), Dzięgielów, Kubalonka, Jasienica, Iłownica, Strumień, Marklowice Górne, Bąków, Dębowiec, Zebrzydowice, Świętoszówka, Kończyce Wielkie, Wieszczęta, Chybie-Mnich, Pierściec, Pielgrzymowice. I encourage you to see the photographs in the gallery on the site www.bramanadziei.org.pl I have already traveled 3000 km to meet the children
I believe that the children who participated in the lesson will be sensitive to the harm done to other people, that they will respect themselves and one another, that they will not ridicule anyone and will become friends of the Jewish nation.
I believe that they will also remember that:
1. God loves them very much.
2. He created them in a wonderful way.
3. He has got a good great plan for their lives.

and that He equipped each of them in exceptional gifts and talents necessary to fulfill the personal aim of their lives.

One of the pupils approached me moved by the lesson and thank me for it. A girl told me that she was ridiculed because she was short. Another girl confessed that someone teased her so much that she cried at home. Please pray that after each lesson the children would feel exceptional and appreciated, with greater self-esteem and what is the most important – loved by God.
Here are some of the teachers’ comments: “Thank you for presenting us with this wonderful and fascinating story. Feel invited to our school again. Thank you very much!!! – Henryk,” “Thank you very much. The children really needed it” – Zosia.

In the second quarter of 2015 I wish to reach pupils of primary and junior high schools in further towns of our province. I am glad that Kubalonka, where the Complex of Primary Schools of the Provincial Center of Pediatrics is situated, is visited by children from Silesia and I do not have to visit their towns because they come to us.

I will be grateful if you recommend our Foundation to other people who would be willing to support our project. Even the amount of PLN 30 multiplied by many donors will help us realize the objective of our Foundation.
Once again I wish to express my gratitude for your prayer and financial support. I believe that as a result of our common efforts the world of the little ones will become happier and we will be proud of the generation.

May God bless you and reward you abundantly.

With thanks

Barbara Bałon
tel. 608 253 867

Dear Friends,
I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers and financial support.
I would like to share with you what we have achieved so far with God’s help.

It is my joy to inform you that over 1600 pupils listened to the lesson of the „Gate of Hope – Petach Tikva” Foundation!

The meetings with children took place in Primary Schools No. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and Junior High School No. 2 in Ustroń, Bażanowice, Goleszów, Nierodzim, Lipowiec, Ogrodzona, Wisła-Czarne, Skoczów (Primary School No. 8), Istebna, Koniaków, Jawornik, Wisła-Malinka, Cieszyn (Primary School No. 4), Kończyce Wlk., Chybie, Zabłocie (school which I attended myself).
I encourage you to see the photographs in the gallery on the site www.bramanadziei.org.pl

Let me give you an outline of what the children learn among others during our lessons. The lessons are based on a story of Hana Brada, a girl who experienced the nightmare of the Holocaust. Her story was written in a book entitled “Hana’s suitcase” by Caren Levine. Drawing on Hana’s life we would like to make Polish children sensitive to harm done to humans, teach them respect for themselves and for other people. Additionally, while analyzing short life stories, we try to prevent mocking and all kinds of discrimination. At the beginning of each lesson the children get to know the verse from Genesis 12,3: “I will bless those who bless you (Israel) […]” We encourage them to bless the Jewish nation, speaking well about them, preventing in this way antisemitism. The children who participated in our meetings become aware of the three truths written in the Scriptures:
1.God loves them very much.
2.He created them in a wonderful way.
3.He has got a good great plan for their lives.
We tell the children that each of them was created in a unique way and received the gifts and talents necessary to accomplish a special purpose in their life (task/dream).
Here are a few comments of the children: “Does really every person have a talent?” „They laugh at me cause I do not have dad.” „They tease me for I am red-haired.”
At the end of each lesson the children receive a poem by Ms Iwona Czarniak (enclosed).

Comments of the teachers:
“Thank you for running the lecture which aims at shaping civic attitudes and promoting respect, tolerance, honesty and responsibility. The meetings are prepared in an interesting way and make pupils sensitive to the harm done to human beings and have a positive influence on their individual and social development”- Ms Kasia.
“The lessons were very interesting. The children showed their interest in them. Lessons with great educational message”- Ms Joasia.
“The lessons on Holocaust were run in forms 4, 5 and 6. The pupils could learn the problems of intolerance, discrimination, disrespect for other people as well as the history of Israel. They listened to the life story of the Jewish family with interest. Thank you for outlining the problems” – Ms Karina, Ms Małgosia.

In the second semester, if God wills, I would like to reach all schools of the Cieszyn district (children aged 9-12) and gradually expand our impact on the whole area of Silesia.

I will be grateful if you recommend our Foundation to other people who would be willing to support our project.
Even the amount of PLN 30 multiplied by many donors will help us realize the objective of our Foundation.
Once again I wish to express my gratitude for what we have managed to achieve because of your support. May God bless you and reward you abundantly.

I wish you a lot of joy, peace and God’s blessing for each day of the new year 2015.

With thanks,
Basia Bałon