As vulnerable populations continue to take precautions due to the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the Jewish Agency for Israel’s affordable-housing subsidiary, Amigour, will provide comprehensive food packages to the elderly, with a focus on Holocaust survivors, to prevent them from the risk of exposure when buying essential supplies for Rosh Hashanah.
The Jewish Agency’s public housing subsidiary Amigour, which provides a roof over the head of thousands of elderly Israelis, began the distribution campaign this week and will deliver the packages to its dozens of complexes nationwide.
The campaign began distributing 6,250 packages worth a total of 750,000 NIS ($233,000) to 56 Amigour housing complexes across the country this week and will conclude its campaign at the start of the holiday. These packages are being offered to Amigour residents thanks to donations raised by the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Hayesod, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Each food package, worth some 120 NIS ($37), includes wine, honey, honey cake, jam and other goods like pasta, rice, tuna, couscous and oil.
Moreover, the food baskets will enable Amigour tenants to celebrate Rosh Hashanah together without having to venture to the store and risk exposure to COVID-19, particularly given their risk factors for the virus.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Amigour has distributed thousands of care packages to elderly residents in nursing homes to coincide with Jewish holidays. Care packages were sent during Passover and Shavuot, and those who needed to be in isolation received challahs for Shabbat.
“We had a year full of challenges—from the ongoing struggle with COVID-19 to a military operation in the south to rocket fire across many cities in Israel,” said Amigour chairman Arieh Abir. “Despite this, we continued to hold concerts and many cultural events to make it easier for elderly citizens to spend time in our nursing homes. I thank the donors who made these care packages possible and the dedicated staff who work day and night to make life for our tenants comfortable. I hope that the next year will be one of health and peace.”
In the south, packages will be sent to Beersheva, Ashkelon, Sderot, Ofakim, Kiryat Gat, Arad and Rehovot. In the north, packages will be sent to Haifa, Naharyia, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Yam, Nesher, Carmiel and Migdal HaEmek. In central Israel, packages will be sent to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Bat Yam, Kiryat Ono, Lod and Holon. Finally, in the Sharon area, packages will be sent to Kfar Saba, Netanya and Herzliya.
