Two shelters in Beer Sheva housing and rehabilitating men and women who live on the streets of various cities in Israel, as well as abused women, received a surprise blessing this month.  You blessed them right where they needed it.

Immigrants in need in Rishon LeZion and Haifa were gifted with new shoes from an Israel Relief Aid container recently. 

Lots of brand new shoes from a recent Israel Relief Aid container were distributed in the northern coastal cities of Haifa, Akko, Nahariya and Kiryat Ata.  Nahariya (picture) is the town furthest north, near the border with Lebanon.

All this week, Israel has been celebrating the holiday of Sukkot (booths or tents).  Toward the end of this holiday are two more holidays in their own right. Thursday evening, October 8, is Hoshanah Rabbah Eve and the following day on Friday is the day part of the first of the two “ending holidays”.

In this month’s project – feeding homeless Israelis and the shelters for men and sheltered women – we wanted to give you some pictures of what they’ve been eating at the shelters, and the kind of foods they need every week:

We wish to express our deepest gratitude to all the wonderful people working on the front lines in our aid center network.   They are all so humble and meek in spirit yet working tirelessly to assist Israelis in need.  continue reading →

 In the Nof HaGalil distribution of food boxes for the High Holidays by the Nazareth Aid Center, some of the boxes had to be delivered because of those who were unable to physically come to the meeting to collect their box. 

The Beer Sheva shelter provides a refuge for women escaping tough domestic situations and a secure place for them to rebuild their lives. Working in cooperation with an anti-violence group, the shelter provides women with emotional and practical support. 

Living on a government stipend will really help when you’re a “vateek” (senior citizen) not working, in Israel.  It helps towards rent, utilities and medical.  But if you’re living under the poverty line, you don’t buy special foods for a holiday.  In fact, you just buy the very minimum food and make it last until next month’s government stipend and your family actually goes hungry.  When this happens to Holocaust Survivors, and especially if it is compounded by them living alone, it’s just so much worse.

More pictures came in from Israel Relief Aid’s recent school supply distribution.  This time from Rishon LeZion.