Mr. Glen Holman, founder of Mayrim Family Retreat
One of the worst possible things a parent can hear is the words: “Your child is very sick,” or “We are trying our best, but pray for a miracle.” Imagine what it must have felt like for the Holmans to hear such words not once, but twice. Two precious daughters had their lives snuffed out at a very young age. Yet Mr. Holman is happy and upbeat. He doesn’t sit and wallow in his pain. At the same time, he says very clearly that his two girls, Nechomah Liba and Miriam, are with him in his heart every single day.
Many parents who have lost a child grapple with what they can do to keep their child’s memory alive. When Nechomah Liba Holman was niftar, her big sister Miriam helped her parents run a small Shabbaton for families that lost a child. They called it “The Holman Family Retreat.” Miriam was actively involved in running it and creating more programs. She wanted to continue doing something for her little sister.
Unfortunately, Miriam herself was stricken with a horrible disease, but even in her hospital bed, while in great pain, Miriam did whatever she could for the Shabbaton and for the sake of the grieving family members who would attend. After her petirah at the age of 21, it made sense to change the name of the Shabbaton to Mayrim – to lift up, something that Miriam had started doing when she was just a young girl.
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