Originally published 2019-10-17.
When two Arab brothers discovered that one of their clients was a Holocaust survivor, they insisted on performing their services free of charge.
According to an online report from the Times of Israel, Salim and Simon Matari are two Israeli plumbers that were called to fix a broken pipe in an older woman’s home in Haifa.
The house belonged to 95-year-old Rosa Meir. While Simon fixed the leaky plumbing fixture, Salim talked with the woman about her life and learned that she was a Holocaust survivor.
Once the Matari brothers had fixed the plumbing system, they knew that they couldn't charge the woman for the $285 service fee.
They instead left a note for Meir reading: “Holocaust survivor, may you have health until 120 [years old], from Matari Simon and Matari Salim.”
Not only that, they added that their services cost zero shekels—and if she ever needed additional services in the future, then they'd be more than happy to return to her home and fix her plumbing for free.
A conversation changes an ordinary service call
The reported act of kindness begins with taking an interest in the person whose home needs a repair. The brothers' decision is specific: they use the skills they already have to remove a practical problem without charging her. That makes the gesture more tangible than a broad statement about goodwill across communities.
Let the individuals keep their complexity
The story need not make the woman or the plumbers stand for every relationship between the groups mentioned in the headline. Their reported choices are meaningful on their own terms. A useful reflection is how ordinary professional skills can become a form of help when someone chooses to offer them. Listening matters here because it allows a routine appointment to become a more personal encounter.
In their own words
The repair took place in early October 2019 and was first reported in Hebrew-language media. The job was worth around NIS 1,000, and the brothers’ bill read: “Amount to pay: 0.” “At that moment, I decided I wouldn’t charge her a penny,” Simon said. The woman was moved to tears: “The brothers really surprised me.” The photograph of the note that circulated online was shared by Good Deeds Day.
Sources: Good News Network, 9 October 2019: Arab plumbers refuse to charge Israeli woman after learning she is a Holocaust survivor Algemeiner (Elder of Ziyon), 7 October 2019: Arab plumbers in Haifa refuse to charge Holocaust survivor
COMMENTS