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Goodman Jewish Family Services Continues To Spread Holiday Cheer Before Jewish New Year

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A special time calls for a special visit Holocaust survivors were surprised with gifts a few days before the Jewish new year.

For more than 20 years Goodman Jewish Family Services has been spreading holiday cheer for Rosh Hashanah to these important members of our community.

"To be able to go out and see a survivor who remembers this time of the year from their childhood and it was interrupted and then created their own memories with their families over the years and are now separated we are here to help them it really warms your heart," said Rami Spiegel Holocaust Administrator for JFS.

They are hand-delivering hundreds of bags and bringing with them a taste of the new year.

In the gift bags marble cake, apples, grape juice, a calendar. All items with a deep meaning.

Adel Besserman who is 89 years old says her family lives in different parts of the country. She lives alone and knowing there are people who care and take the time to visit specially at this time of the year means the world to her.

"It's lovely it's delicious everything is good when people come to see me my friends are important to me my relatives are very important. I like it and that's what keeps me going get me dressed and walking," said Adel Besserman Holocaust survivor.

These visits a reassurance to let them know they are not alone.

"We find it very important to take care of this community because they're not going to be here forever and have so many lessons to learn from them. It's also a way of giving back they sacrificed so much for us so we could be here today," said Spiegel.

"It makes me happy yes when she comes and sees me and she hugs me and we say to each other I love you. I say to her I love you too so it's good" said Besserman, as she hugged Spiegel.

This Sunday, September 29, at sundown, marks the beginning of Rosh Hashanah.

Goodman Jewish Family Services has been assisting residents and Holocaust survivors in Broward County since 1962.

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