In Ashdod alone, over half the families applied
to city social workers for Passover assistance.
With dozens of urgent requests for help flooding
into our offices from across Israel, our staff rose
to the occasion. Because Christians from around
the world also responded to the need, we were
able to help thousands of Holocaust Survivors,
other elderly citizens, new immigrants, needy
families, and many others who were desperately
in need of assistance this Passover season.
It turned into a special moment when Christians
showed their care and concern for our Israeli
friends right when they needed us the most!
No doubt, “all things work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
CARE FOR ELDERLY AND
HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS
ICEJ team members at our Haifa Home for
Holocaust Survivors were designated the
primary caregivers for the 70 residents confined
to their apartments due to the coronavirus
crisis. This included delivering meals, providing
medical checkups, doing handiwork around
their homes, and paying daily visits to break
their sense of isolation. The Christian volunteers
under the direction of veteran ICEJ staffers
Yudit and Will Setz also helped pack and deliver
meals to hundreds of other Holocaust Survivors
and senior citizens all around Haifa.
“When the coronavirus began spreading in
Israel, it made our work much more difficult,
but it did not stop the mandate of the Christian
Embassy to comfort the people of Israel. Rather,
it provided a unique and timely opportunity
to expand our ministry to meet critical needs
and help many more families as Passover
approached,” said ICEJ AID Director Nicole
Yoder.
Here is a sampling of what we were able to
accomplish together to make the Passover
season brighter for thousands of individuals
and families under added distress due to the
coronavirus crisis. As you can see, we provided
timely aid to more people at Passover than
ever before, including Holocaust Survivors,
other elderly Israelis, and new immigrants
and children—while also helping emergency
relief teams and community workers in need of
special medical equipment remain on the job.
In Jerusalem, some 12 members of the ICEJ staff
were permitted to leave their homes to assist the
elderly and other vulnerable people required to
stay in their apartments. Many volunteered with
Hineni—a Christian-supported Jerusalem soup
kitchen—where they helped pack and deliver
some 2,000 hot meals to elderly residents of the
city over several weeks, as well as 650 Passover
food and gift packages.
The ICEJ Homecare team also cared for
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