The Gift of Information: Ayala Laub, Director – The Shira Pransky Project

Ayala grew up in West Orange, NJ in a typical American modern Orthodox family and community, with a healthy dose of Zionism mixed in as well, attending Bnei Akiva camps in her summers.

Her parents were very involved in Jewish communal life and synagogue programming, particularly being chesed and tzedakah oriented. Living next door were her aunt and uncle, who were also very involved in the Jewish community, and having leadership roles in the shul.

Ayala relates her earliest memories of tzedakah and chesed by describing her father’s role – among others – as a volunteer first responder for Hatzalah – the local Jewish first aid organization. At a very young age she understood that if she arrived at the synagogue on Shabbat morning and did not see her father, there was no reason to panic because she already knew that he was out saving someone’s life. Even as a preschooler she was used to seeing her father drive on Shabbat, despite having learned that this was against halacha – Jewish law. And so, she also then learned the laws of pikuach nefesh docheh Shabbat – that saving a life is even more important than observing Shabbat. (Of note, her father just opened a Hatzalah chapter in West Orange as well!)

Ayala attended Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls in Teaneck, NJ, and has many fond memories of her time there. She recalls learning about and incorporating women’s empowerment, learning Talmud daily, and how women are a part of the Jewish community by taking leadership roles. All in all, she says, it was a “very inspiring place.” Throughout middle school and high school, Ayala also volunteered as a Mitzvah Clown, entertaining adults and children in hospitals and rehab centers in New Jersey. (See sidebar regarding Mitzvah Clowns)

When Ayala finished high school she came to Israel to attend a gap year seminary program at Shaalvim for Women in Jerusalem. After being there for only two months, she went to the head of the program and told her that she was dropping out, because she wanted to join the IDF. Ayala recalls saying, “How can I be here and not contribute?” At the end of the discussion, she agreed to wait until the end of the school year, still feeling very strongly that, “It’s not fair that we come here and benefit from all the great things and we don’t do any type of service.” In the end, Ayala decided to do Sherut Leumi, the national volunteer service program that one can do instead of one’s obligatory IDF army service. She volunteered working for an organization that deals with homebound and infirmed elders, and made the rounds between individual elders and nursing homes, being the friendly smiling face and companion sorely lacking in their lives.

After Sherut Leumi, Ayala went to Bar Ilan University near Tel Aviv, majoring in both Jewish and World History. When asked why she chose to study those fields and not social work or similar, particularly since she was always involved in volunteering and social work-type activities from an early age, she explained, “If you had asked any of my teachers or guidance counselors along the way, they all would have assumed that I would do a degree in social work. But after my year in Sherut Leumi working with the elders, it was very emotionally draining. I was 19, and was in essence, the social worker for these very lonely and often depressed elders.” Ayala was concerned that doing a degree in social work would be too much. “I would get home and it would sit on me – I would literally

feel the weight of these people’s suffering.” And so, needing a break, and loving World history and Jewish history, she chose to study those fields instead.

Always seeing God’s providence in what we do in life, Ayala clarifies why all of her jobs have been in the helping professions, saying, “I fell into it because clearly that’s what I’m supposed to be doing!”

During her work with a program placing people in volunteer positions, Ayala was speaking to the people at the Shira Pransky Project trying to place a volunteer there. They told her that they had a paid position open, and though she is not a medical professional by training, the beauty of socialized medicine in Israel was very attractive to her, and the day-to-day work of program coordination and helping others was a perfect fit.

The Shira Pransky Project educates and assists immigrants in Israel to understand and access their healthcare rights, benefits, and medical care. This is important because a lack of familiarity with the healthcare system, coupled with language barriers and gaps in cultural competence, means immigrants in Israel often miss out on significant benefits to which they are entitled, and/or experience delays in timely medical care through their HMOs (Kupat Holim). SPP provides English language resources, educational programs, and individual guidance and assistance.

SPP has over 700 pages of translated information on healthcare topics, available online at the “Kol Zechut” website (All-rights Index) – in addition to the thorough topic guides covering many areas on their own website.  www.kolzchut.org.il/en/Health_and_Illness,

Ayala gives about 15 workshops every year, talking to various audiences with either general interests (“Israeli Healthcare 101”) or giving specific seminars on elder care, women’s issues, pediatric issues, etc. In addition, The Shira Pransky Project fields about 150 phone calls each month, from people seeking more individual and personal assistance covering every type of healthcare issue. They help the person in need to pinpoint the issue and walk them through the process, starting with identifying exactly where they are stuck. Many people are just at a loss of where to turn, and what to do next.

The organization is named for Shira Pransky, of blessed memory, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 16, approximately four years after making aliyah with her family. Ten years later she left this world with a legacy of endurance in the face of dramatic challenges, inspirational faith and perspective, and devotion as a wife and mother. Her struggles and her strength moved her loved ones to create The Shira Pransky Project to continue toward a commitment to making a difference in people’s lives.

The inspiration came in particular from her husband Gabe’s reflections on the struggles that