With Passover around the corner, our Chai Lifeline Canada families are often concerned with how they will prepare for the holidays. Small tasks such as going shopping or cleaning your car can become quite the ordeal. Our staff and volunteers from Chai Lifeline Canada have been ensuring families will be able to celebrate the holiday joyously together. From our Passover pop up shop providing new clothes, shoes, haircut and car wash vouchers, to a pizza dinner delivered to every family in the lead up to Yom Tov, to tens of thousands of dollars in financial aid provided…Chai Lifeline Canada continues to provide hope to thousands across Canada.

This Passover, when you are at your Seder, think about those in our community who might need your strength of support. For families living with illness, trauma or loss, Chai Lifeline Canada's doors are always open, and with you as a source of comfort, they know they are not alone.

With that in mind, I would like to announce our new annual campaign, Hope Lives Here!

Wishing you and your family Chag Kasher V'Sameach!

Rabbi Mordechai Rothman, Executive Director

Chai Lifeline Canada

It takes a village to support a family whose daily life is impacted by illness.

Chai Lifeline Canada's village includes our professional team, volunteers and donors. Purim is always one of the most fun and exciting holidays and we make sure that it's extra special children and families impacted by illness in our community.

Volunteers made a special visit to SickKids Hospital to bring Purim cheer to Adina.

At our Shining Stars program in Montreal Passover crafts were a fun and creative activity.

Our team was all hands on deck in Toronto to pick up Passover boxes from the National Council of Jewish Women for our families.

Big Sister sporty outing for Hailey and Chavie to a Raptors game.

We had 50 tickets to the Joey Newcomb show for a night out filled with music and friends.

Toronto teen boys chilled together for a cool day of snow tubing with Chai Case Manager, Gidi.

We were so happy to join Lilu and her family to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah!

We celebrated Ethan's 2nd Birthday with a private ride on his favourite mode of transportation - a school bus!

Our growing team in Montreal moved into their new offices! Hatzlacha Raba!

Everyday we are grateful for our network of support from our volunteers, donors and community...every one of them, a mensch. This month's honourable menschens celebrate these incredible people who lead with their heart.

Miriam Lia Assouline was a beautiful 12-year-old girl who used her artistic talent to comfort other children on her hospital floor. During her last round of chemo, she created get well cards that included messages of hope, strength and joy. In her memory and in honour of her 13th birthday, her family is selling packaged reproductions of Miriam’s cards in support of Chai Lifeline Montreal. Like Miriam’s life, these funds will be used to spread love to children.

Noa Rafaela Garzon was an adorable baby suffering from an incurable lung disease. Noa’s smile brought joy to all who were lucky enough to care for her. Her parents, Sarah and Gabriel, launched a fundraising campaign on what would have been Noa’s first birthday, to perpetuate the love that she brought to their lives. These funds will be used to bring comfort and hope to other families and serve as a legacy of Noa’s pure spirit.



Special thanks to Chai alum and mensch, Ofek, for a wonderful visit with us to catch up. We loved hearing his Camp Simcha and Big Sibling memories and hearing all about what he's up to now. We're sharing all the details on our blog here.

In celebration of her Bat Mitzvah, Orly made 30 Passover for kids packages including notebooks, markers, stickers, fuzzy socks and snacks.

Aish Thornhill hosted a pre-Passover event where hairdressers did more than 30 cuts for women that donated either hair or funds for Chai.

Big thanks to the boys from the yeshiva down the street helping out in the office during their lunch break! #DarcheiSquad

There is no such thing as an act of volunteering or a donation that is too small to make a difference. Every minute and every dollar goes into making the lives of our families that much easier. Every act that brings joy matters. When you imagine all of the minutes and dollars added together, the impact is huge. This month's volunteer spotlight on a very special volunteer with big energy and an even bigger heart - Tamara Goldman.

Tamara tells us that growing up, the one thing that she knew was important was family. She adds that as far back as she can remember, Chai Lifeline Canada, has always been important to her family. As a young girl she looked up to her older brothers watching them volunteer for Chai. When she was in Grade 5 she was excited to get involved for herself and participated in Chai-a-Thon.

“To fundraise successfully, I needed a good pitch. This was when I realized, I need to know more. What does this amazing organization do? Who do they help? How do they help? I knew Chai Lifeline Canada was there to help people who have debilitating or life-threatening illnesses, but the more research I did the more I understood that Chai really is a family.”

The following Purim, Tamara volunteered for Chai for the first time, joining her mother to make and deliver Shaloch Manos for families and she knew then that it was the beginning of a life-long journey.

Tamara has been a joyful presence at Chai’s Family Chanukah and Purim parties and fundraising and family events – always dependable, always smiling, always connecting.

We are endlessly grateful for your generous support for our work and our warriors.

It is because of people like you - our community - that we are able to provide compassionate care, programs and services to children and families

diagnosed and living with serious illness.