With the tragic and painful passing of our very dear son and brother, Yehuda Aryeh Mond, our family established The Yehuda Mond Foundation of Ahavas Torah, a tax-exempt organization. Since family was of utmost importance to Yehuda, we decided that the focus of this Foundation should be to enhance the quality of family life in ways that would bring out the beauty of our Jewish heritage. The ripple effect of helping others achieve this improved quality of life will then continue into future generations, since the Jewish family is the foundation upon which all else is built. It is our hope that by specifically supporting charitable activities that were important to Yehuda, his life will be honored with everlasting blessing.

For a small album including pictures of Yehuda click here.

The motivation for starting this foundation was the unique personality of Yehuda himself. In his short life of nineteen and a half years our family learned many things from him. The challenges he presented us with taught us much about ourselves and much about others. We learned a lot about unconditional love, unending patience and the enormous strength that lies within each of us. If these qualities could be harnessed to help those less fortunate, those that society is quick to judge, then it could serve to bring out so much virtue in so many people. It would benefit those who receive as well as those who give; those who give of their money and those who give of their time. By facilitating this through the Foundation we can thereby elevate the Neshama of our dear son and brother Yehuda and assist in the causes that were important to him in his life time.

Yehuda was an exceedingly unique and creative individual. His brilliance and exceptional sense of humor betrayed an unusually accurate perception of all those around him while injustice was an enigma to his sensitive soul. He was happiest when he was one with nature especially spending time fishing alone or with very close friends. It was simply the beauty of casting his fishing line over the perfectly still waters and watching the ripples created by the line radiating further and further until it reached the shore and its point of stability. This image, when conjured in one’s mind, can be translated into the ripple effect of giving and bringing goodness to people. This ripple goes on and eventually begins to have a life of its own. It is said that some can have a greater impact on this world from heaven than while living in this world. Therefore, the ripple effect created by his exceptional vision can transcend the fact that he is no longer with us. We pray to be able to accomplish all of the noble goals set out in our mission and that through our actions, Yehuda’s special Neshama will rise to great heights in heaven. We do this with love for our son and brother and in the hope that this will in fact create the ripple effect of increasing goodness here in our world, as he would have so much wanted.

We hope and pray that Hashem will guide us with the wisdom to help other families & children in need and that we should all be zoche to see the coming of Mashiach Bimharyra Biyamanu!