Elisheva at 80

Elisheva was born on January 29 as was Father Daniel, who would have been 90 on this day. Elisheva also shares her birthday with Cecile Pilverdier, a pillar of the Jerusalem community. Cecile and Elisheva arrived in Israel 50 years ago. On January 29, God gave the kehillot these three gifts: Daniel, Elisheva and Cecile.

On Saturday, members of the Haifa kehilla and friends of Elisheva gathered at the home of the kehilla in order to celebrate her eightieth birthday. Her sister, Maria, came from Germany, as did her niece, her niece's partner and Father Franz, an old friend of the Haifa kehilla. Father Roman celebrated a festive mass and alongside him Father David, who came from Jerusalem, and Father Franz concelebrated. In his homily, Father Roman outlined the work of Elisheva in Israel. She worked hard, alongside Father Daniel, to build a community that would be integrated in the country, in her language and culture. Father Daniel and Elisheva bought the house that still serves as the home of the Haifa kehilla. In addition, she founded the Gertrude Luckner Parents Home in Nahariyah, whose original function was to give a home to elderly "Righteous among the Nations" (those who had saved Jews during the Shoah). Elisheva also directed the yearly children's summer camp for many years, a camp for Hebrew speaking Catholic children. Indeed a woman of valor!

After the mass, those present were invited to partake of the delicious dishes that had been prepared for the occasion. Elisheva gathered around the table a great diversity of people, believers and non-believers, Jews and Christians, Israelis and Arabs and from many other nations too. All came to thank her for her courage and to wish her health, happiness and many more years of activity in the vineyard of the Lord.