(Excerpted from The Real Jerusalem Streets)

Bayta Jaffe, with Lucy, stands with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. (Photo credit: United Hatzalah)

Batya Jaffe, a Ph.D. student and an adjunct professor at Wurzweiler, is one of the six Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit (PCRU) members from United Hatzalah in Israel currently active in Surfside, Florida. Jaffe, who is a trained expert in animal therapy, runs a K-9 unit that “supports the work of the Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit,” said Psychotrauma Unit Director Avi Tennenbaum, and she and her dog, Lucy, have been providing assistance to families whose loved ones are missing or deceased as a result of the building collapse that took place on Thursday, June 24. The pair, together with their five other team members, are also assisting displaced families, first responders, and community members in coping with the tragedy that shook their lives last week. After this interaction, Jaffe and the crew moved on and headed to a group of on-duty police officers to see how they were doing. When one officer saw Lucy, she exclaimed, “I’m so happy you came; I didn’t think I was going to be able to meet you.” A firefighter who had also just finished his turn extricating rubble from the collapse site approached the group and asked to pet Lucy. After a long time petting her he looked up at Batya and said, “Thank you. I already feel better. Thank you.” “This was the most touching moment for me,” Batya explained. “This was the point where I was able to see just how much of an effect we have made here in just two days. I was able to see how Lucy is able to help everyone express their humanity, no matter what they were going through. She was able to get them to open up and begin talking to us. This allowed us to initiate treatment, even if it was for a short while. I am very hopeful that tomorrow will be as successful as today was, and that we will succeed in helping more people who require our assistance here.”