With thousands of Israelis left homeless following 12 days of intense missile attacks across the country, Colel Chabad, together with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) and the Hatzinor Fund, has embarked on their latest project to support affected Israeli families.
More than 3,300 such families have already been identified for the program’s support and will receive debit cards worth 3,000 shekels (about $885) to help provide for immediate needs. While some individuals will be temporarily displaced to allow for repairs to the damage to their homes, in many cases, entire buildings and houses will need to be demolished as they are structurally unsound. These families are often unable to return to their homes to retrieve even the basic necessities, and in many cases have been left only with the clothing they were wearing when they fled their homes.
“In this war that has many heroes and reveals tremendous Israeli bravery and strength, we can’t forget that there are also many completely innocent victims who went to sleep in their beds one night and awoke the next morning surrounded by destruction and chaos,” says Rabbi Shalom Duchman, director of Colel Chabad, Israel’s longest running social-services organization, founded in 1788 by the Alter Rebbe. “As a nation and a people, we have an obligation to make sure these families are taken care of as they face a very long road of rebuilding ahead.”
Colel Chabad notes that the largest collection of beneficiary families for this project live in Bat Yam. The coastal town is home to many lower-income families who were struggling financially even before the war, and the prospect of being without housing and all of their belongings is that much more of an uphill battle.
Amir Shuan of the Hatzinor Fund, founded by Israeli TV personality Guy Lehrer, says “these are families that are in real immediate need. We’re finding people who are without their glasses or their walkers or all types of medicine and basic items. When we give them these cards to allow them to begin to get back on their feet, they’re looking at us as angels, but all we’re doing is making sure that people who really need support are getting it as quickly as possible.”
The three partners in this initiative, all non-governmental entities, were able to provide the necessary support immediately from donor funds, which will provide families with critical breathing room while governmental subsidies and further support is being organized.
“In a matter of seconds, lives were turned upside-down,” says Yael Eckstein, president and CEO of IFCJ. “Homes destroyed. Children frightened. Elderly men and women suddenly without food, medicine or even a bed to sleep in. In those moments, there is no time to wait. Only to act. That’s what IFCJ is here to do. To bring comfort. To bring help. To bring light. We can’t stop the missiles. But we can meet the fear with faith. We can meet the loss with love.”
“In the days and weeks ahead, with God’s help, we will return to our livelihoods and daily routines and Israel will be that much safer because of the many incredible victories and miracles we have witnessed in recent days,” affirms Duchman. “But these families have no homes to return to, and we must do everything possible to make sure they aren’t forgotten.”