Rabbi Daniel Bar-Nahum, the spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El said, “This is part of our community: how one man can overcome adversity and have the importance of family in the face of such difficulty. Something that might be a permanent sentence of disability is just the opposite, and becomes an opportunity of personal growth and fulfillment.”

Temple Emanu-El’s Social Action Committee is planning “Mitzvah Day” on June 1 where congregants and community members can participate in a blood drive, Island Harvest food drive, Ronald McDonald House event and other charitable activities to benefit the community.

For additional information on meningitis or to make a donation, visit the National Meningitis Association’s web site http://www.nmaus.org.