With Israel facing ongoing attacks from Iran and Hezbollah, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews on Tuesday announced a 45 million shekel ($12 million) Passover aid initiative to assist some 200,000 Israelis in need.
The Fellowship said the assistance will be directed to residents of northern Israel living under threat, families displaced by missile damage, reservist households, lone soldiers, bereaved families, survivors of the Nova music festival massacre and low-income families. Aid packages valued at between 500 and 800 shekels per recipient are being distributed nationwide through the organization’s existing emergency relief network.
According to the organization, approximately 35 million shekels are being allocated for financial grants and food packages to about 140,000 Israelis from war-affected or low-income households. An additional 2.5 million shekels is earmarked for assistance to 8,000 Israelis whose homes were damaged by missile attacks, while 5 million shekels in food cards are being distributed to 1,300 families in northern communities under continuous threat from Hezbollah.
In partnership with the Association for Israel’s Soldiers, the Fellowship is also providing holiday packages to 1,360 reservists and 11,500 lone soldiers. Together with the aid group Latet, it is supplying 1,500 emergency food packages and 350 shelter kits stocked with blankets, nonperishable food and games for use in northern shelters.
Communal Passover seders for approximately 1,000 residents of Kiryat Shmona will also be held in shelters, in cooperation with local and national partners.
Beyond Israel, the Fellowship said it is continuing its annual support for Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union, providing holiday food packages, matzah and financial assistance to roughly 100,000 elderly and disadvantaged families in need.
“Passover is a holiday of freedom and hope, but this year, many Israeli citizens are facing economic hardship and uncertainty in the shadow of the war,” said Yael Eckstein, president of the Fellowship. “Our staff braves danger to deliver aid, and our donors worldwide have stepped up with extraordinary generosity so families can celebrate safely and with dignity.”
Alongside its holiday efforts, the Fellowship is allocating more than 15 million shekels toward emergency infrastructure and humanitarian support for civilians, rescue personnel and families severely affected by two and a half years of war.
Since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, the organization has committed approximately $300 million in aid to support Israel’s emergency and social welfare needs, including food, water, equipment for first responders and aliyah assistance for new immigrants affected by the ongoing conflict.
