AFULA, Israel – Fourteen year-old Ami is the son of Sandra Steuer Cohen from Teaneck, N.J. 

There are many I know who have “more” than they do, but few who are more generous, spirited and principled.  Sandra is well familiar with Israel; her three grandchildren were born to her daughter here in Emek and still reside in Afula. 

That was the catalyst for a gesture that has evolved into a saga.

Sandra was well aware that many families in New Jersey communities had stashes of unused Beanie Babies; she thought that they would be better off in the hands of disadvantaged Israeli children.  In the summer of 2009, she discussed the idea with Ami and he immediately embraced it with all of his heart. He energetically began collecting the loveable dolls from friends and classmates and the word quickly spread throughout Teaneck and neighboring communities and the drive was on. 

Within an unimaginably short period of time, Ami found himself buried under hundreds and hundreds of Beanie Babies, many having found their way to Ami’s doorstep in large cartons from anonymous donors. 

Sandra never imagined that they would be so inundated with gifts; she then faced the dilemma of how to get them to the children of Emek Medical Center.  She decided that parcel post would be the most rational route and she and Ami together packaged the wealth of toys into eight cartons filled to capacity. The mailing costs ($700) shocked them both and a decision needed to be made. Together they decided that this cause took precedence over Sandra’s limited income and eight cartons of joy began their expensive journey to Israel.

The first three made their way to my office. The other five were intercepted by the Haifa Customs Authority – it demanded exorbitant tax fees before releasing them.  As is customary here, I began corresponding via fax to the Haifa Customs Authority, explaining that the contents were simply used dolls, not for resale and meant as a donation for Israeli hospitalized children.

The five cartons were then shipped to the Afula Post Office with explicit instructions that they were not to be released without Customs payment. The perplexed Post Office manager invited me for a meeting to try and resolve this issue that had now been dragging on for more than three months.

After meeting in the Post Office, the manager understood, agreed with me and filled out special forms requesting that Customs release the cartons free of any charges. The cartons were then returned to Haifa in a senseless bureaucratic act that I found most difficult to understand.  

Many days later, some nameless Customs clerk called to inform me that the used Beanie Babies would not be released without payment. I replied to him that their attitude was incomprehensible by any standard of rational thought and that Emek was not prepared (nor are we able) to pay such Customs fees. 

So, where are those hundreds of Beanie Babies that 14- year-old Ami collected for a bunch of kids on the other side of the world and that his mother paid so dearly for? Today, I cannot answer that question. 

The Jewish Agency and newspaper journalists are now involved in trying to right this obvious wrong. I am writing this to you for the following reasons …

That you should know about the heart of young Ami who went an extra long mile in an unselfish gesture for the well being of children he would never know. This young man possesses a contagious spirit of giving that many could learn from.

That if anyone is considering sending gifts to Emek’s children via regular post, I strongly recommend that you do not do so.  The risk of unjustified additional expenses in the form of Customs’ duties is now painfully apparent.

The beautiful heart of Ami has touched us all, regardless of the current whereabouts of his Beanie Babies. Ami did what he did out of love, tzedakah and an evolving maturity where he realizes that there are those in our world with less than he and that it is OK to help strangers. We salute this young man and are honored that he and his mother did what they did for us.  

Emek 4 Kids offers a simple, safe solution for anyone caring to make a donation. Go to www.clalit.org.il/haemek/Content/Content.asp?CID=146&u=668   

Larry Rich is the director of development, international patients & public relations, at Emek Medical Center. Contact him at rich_l@clalit.org.il.