On Monday, I had the zechus to visit dear old friends who are currently sitting shiva for their precious 8-year-old daughter, Charlotte Herzberg A”H.

I walked in with my head lowered, heavyhearted, and unsure what to say. I walked out uplifted, strengthened, and deeply inspired.

Mr. and Mrs. Yudi Herzberg are true malachim. Their emunah, strength, and clarity are beyond anything I have ever witnessed.

We all know of the horrific tragedy, Charlotte was struck by a car in Monsey and was R”L nifteres. Yet instead of focusing on blame, anger, or the many things people might naturally point to: the driver, the street, the need for speed bumps, they focused on Hashem’s hashgacha.

Because the person driving was not a stranger. It was Yudi’s best friend, chavrusa, and mentor — someone he knows to be incredibly responsible, someone he loves deeply, and someone who would give anything for him. To them, this was the clearest reminder that this was not random. This was all from Hashem.

Incredibly, on the way home from the hospital after Charlotte’s petirah, Yudi stopped by his friend’s home — the driver — to give him chizuk, hugs, and strength. There are no words.

They also shared that Charlotte’s life was not “cut short.” Rather, she lived the full 8½ years that Hashem allotted for her. She lived fully, joyfully, loudly, and beautifully, riding her bike and enjoying life until her final breath.

On the way to the hospital, when the situation was already extremely bleak, Mrs. Herzberg was saying Tehillim. Yudi spoke to Hashem and said, “You know how much chessed we try to do for Klal Yisrael, for the community, and for people at large. Please take all my zechusim and save Charlotte.”

And Hashem said no.

But Yudi explained that perhaps Hashem did take those zechusim, and in return gave them an even greater zechus: the opportunity to be mekadesh Shem Shamayim in a way that will shake the world.

They do not want Charlotte’s holy neshamah to leave this world in vain. In her zechus, they have begun an initiative calling on anyone involved in any form of machlokes: with family, friends, business partners, or anyone else, to reach out and make peace.

Do it for Charlotte.

She was a loud, lively, loving child. And now, her voice will be even louder — bringing shalom into the world.

Already, people have begun taking this on. One family that had not spoken in 15 years reached out after the levayah and told the Hertzbergs that they would be spending Shabbos together. And there are already many more stories like this.

We are asking all our followers, and the world at large: please create a zechus for this holy family and for this incredible neshamah. Take it upon yourself today to reach out to someone you no longer speak to. End the machlokes. Make peace.

CLICK THIS LINK TO JOINE THE PLEDGE! 5TC will share the results with the Herzberg family. It will be a tremendous source of chizuk for them, Tizku Limitzvos.

May this be a zechus for Lialuyei Nishmas Shaindel A”H bas YBL”C Chaim Yehuda Leib. May her family continue to have tremendous strength, endless nechamah, and unwavering bitachon. And may we be zocheh to the ultimate geulah, b’karov.

Sincerely,

Eli Sonnenblick