UPDATED 24/11/20: Update on Rivka & Bat-El, Plus a New Urgent Plea for Their Friend, ODEL TZOREF, Sick & Trapped in the Same Bulgarian Prison

UPDATE: There is apparently a new video out by Odel's mother, Dikla, here:
https://thechesedfund.com/chessed-forever/tzoref?aff=3

You can read an article about it here:
https://collive.com/watch-heartbroken-mother-of-arrested-girl-speaks-out/

Please daven for the speedy & smooth release of Odel bat Dikla.

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It looks like the campaign for Rivka Zuaretz achieved its goal.

​They for sure reached the goal of $200,000 before the deadline, then raised it another $50,000, as explained on Rivka's campaign page:

UPDATE 11/16: ONLY TWO MORE DAYS, and the goal has been raised to $250,000 - There are additional expenses that we need in order to get Rivka free & home safely. We are so close, please help!!!

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Also, the donations for Rivka are closed, so I'm pretty sure that means they met their total goal. Last I checked, they surpassed $200,000 and were certainly well on their way to meeting the next goal, due to the generosity & compassion of so many "regular" Jews. (In fact, in the message below, it says that Rivka & Bat-El are soon to be released.) ​

To whoever donated: You are amazing.

​But as you might remember, it was a group of girls. If you were wondering what was happening with the rest of the friends, here is the plea for Odel Tzoref, the third girl in the group trapped in the Bulgarian prison:

Dear Klal Yisroel,

You may have heard the story of the group of girls from the news, who travelled to Bulgaria with a suitcase of goods that they were told were legal where they were travelling. If you have read the story you also know that it was a lie, and that they were arrested.

Our Odeli is one them.

Odel is only 21 years old, an amazing young woman, who works with at-risk children. She also volunteers in old age homes. We did not even know that she was travelling and when she called us sobbing that she had been arrested it was our absolute worst fears come true.

They want to keep her there for 15 years, chas v’shalom. Unless we can afford a legal team to negotiate a fine for her release. My husband and I lost our jobs due to corona and though we continue to try as hard as we can, we are struggling. The other girls she was there with are soon to be released - I cannot imagine the horror of having to leave Odel behind.

The prison where she is being kept is horrific - It is freezing cold and her health is suffering. She is so ill she is constantly vomiting. They only allow her to go to the bathroom every 6 hours. There are no showers. She is truly being tortured and traumatized. Her life is at stake.

Now the window is closing - she has a chance to leave with the other two girls next week but only if we can pay the necessary fees. We only have until Wednesday to reach our goal. If you are reading this I beg you to understand, we have no hope without your help. Please help us bring Odel home.

Thank you
The Tzoref Family
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This is a campaign to raise money for Pidyon Shvuyim. Our goal is for 555 people to donate $360. The bracha from this mitzvah will come back to you manifold.
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Feel free to contact the campaign organizer with any questions:
Phone or Whatsapp: Rabbi Yaakov Katz +972 58-398-9621
Email: givezedaka@gmail.com

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As you can see, it is a verified campaign—no trickery here.

Completely legitimate.

Please help bring Odel Tzoref home.

Once again, ANY donation helps! The previous campaigns listed donations as small as $1 and as large as $1000. Altogether, these donations added up to the target amount with the specified timeframe! So please, whatever you can manage HELPS!

(I don't see her parents' names for davening, so in the meantime, I've been davening for "Odel Tzoref in a Bulgarian prison." Hashem knows who it is.)

May all the prisoners of Tziyon be released quickly & easily—including Yehonatan ben Malka (Jonathan Pollard)!