The Lemonade Fund just passed the 3 year mark!

To date, 259,000 shekels in grants have been given to Israeli breast cancer patients, 113 women and 1 man, who are in financial crisis due to the their illness. 

One of our most recent grants went to H., a 57 year old woman from central Israel who was recently diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Having survived thyroid cancer a year earlier, H. had just returned to her job as a caretaker at a nursing home. During the same period, her husband was forced to declare bankruptcy. H. is currently going through chemotherapy treatment and is also, understandably, suffering from anxiety and depression. H. and her husband have no source of income during this difficult time and we received an application on her behalf from her hospital social worker. The grant was delivered in time for the holiday season and we wish H. well. (With your donations, we can help patients like H. For more profiles, see, http://www.lemonadefund.org/profiles.)

During this time of year, we are focused on capturing God’s ear. The sound of the shofar is an ancient call, like a cry, without words. It is worth mentioning the simplest, most heart-felt prayer ever recorded. Five words, cried out by Moses, when his sister became ill. “Kayl, na, refa na lah.” “Please God, please heal her.”

The raw nakedness of this request to God can teach us much about prayer. At it’s most powerful, it is direct and straight from the heart. Yom Kippur can be a time of deep introspection when this kind of connection is possible.

We can also see how a serious illness shakes man to his core. On Yom Kippur, when most of us are praying earnestly for an upcoming year of blessings, very sick people beseech God for survival and recovery. I remember the first Yom Kippur after diagnosis as being one of intense gratitude as well as a humble new understanding of exactly what it means to pray for and be granted life.

Yom Kippur is all about effecting change and bettering oneself. One of the proscribed Jewish ways to improve ourselves is to help those around us by giving charity. The Lemonade Fund is a simple charity with very little overhead. It assists breast cancer patients financially while they are in active treatment so they can concentrate on getting well. No one should have to be indigent and seriously ill at the same time, as long as we can help it. http://www.lemonadefund.org/about

Please consider a donation to the Lemonade Fund. To donate: https://lemonadefund.org/to-donate/

We would like to thank the Young Israel of West Hempstead, West Hempstead, NY, and their Combined Israel Appeal for their generous support of the Lemonade Fund. Their grant will help us help many patients.

Finally, (it’s been a while) a lemon recipe for the break fast. Wishing everyone a meaningful Yom Kippur and a sweet, healthy and peaceful New Year.

Shari Mendes,
Lemonade Fund,
Israel Breast Cancer Emergency Relief Fund (IBCERF)
c/o ESRA
P.O.Box 3132
Herzliya 46104, ISRAEL

info: info@lemonadefund.org
to apply for assistance: Contact Anat at ESRA 09-950-8371
to donate: https://lemonadefund.org/to-donate/
website: http://www.lemonadefund.org/
facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lemonadefund

Lemon Yoghurt Cupcakes

Here is a delicious and healthy lemon cake recipe.

Traditional lemon yoghurt cakes are loaded with refined white flour, sugar and saturated fat that really don’t do much to promote wellbeing. When I cook, my aim is to design a recipe not only for taste, but also for good health.
I’ve made these cupcakes using almonds to replace the white flour because it makes them so moist and naturally sweet as well as being gluten free. Almonds are also loaded with protein + good anti-inflamatory fats that help promote health. Eggs are also a great source of protein that can promote a healthy immune system. The addition of lemon + yoghurt gives these cupcakes a wonderful flavour and helps to activate the bicarb, that makes them rise.
3 cups (300 g / 10 1/2 oz) ground almonds / almond meal / almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda – bi carb soda
2 free range or organic eggs
juice and zest from 1 lemon
½ cup (180 g / 6 1/4 oz) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
50 g macadamia nut oil or (olive oil, avocado oil, cold pressed coconut oil, butter)
¼ cup (80 g/ 2 3/4 oz) thick natural or Greek style yoghurt
Preheat your oven to 160 C. 320 F fan forced.
Combine almond meal + baking soda.
Add eggs, lemon juice + zest, honey, vanilla, oil and yoghurt.
Mix well.
Spoon into prepared cupcake tins.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Enjoy.
Makes 12