Dearest friends and family of Israel365,
March has been a beautiful and busy month in Israel, as the Jewish people celebrated the festival of our freedom, the holiday of Passover. God performed great miracles for His nation in rescuing us from Egypt in ancient times, and you have blessed His people as well this past month through your monthly donation to Israel365. Take a moment to enjoy some of the photos and videos outlining all the good works we have been able to do together this past month.
SUPPORT FOR IDF LONE SOLDIERS
This year, we dedicated the Israel365 Lone Soldier Center in Beit Shemesh which we have been using as a home away from home to nourish IDF soldiers. Over Passover, we provided Seder and holiday meals to those whose families are far away, and they deeply appreciated your support. Take a look at how grateful Josh was when he came back from base to an apartment loaded with his favorite Passover food.
Additionally, more than 20 young men drafted into the army this month. It is a very dramatic and emotional day and we had the honor and opportunity to present these men with their very own copy of “The Israel Bible” as they were inducted into service. Rabbi Tuly blessed these newly minted soldiers and conveyed an inspirational message to them and inscribed their bibles, “May the God of Israel watch over you as you join the IDF today to protect the Land and People of Israel.”
COMFORTING HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS
While Israeli families enjoyed the Passover holiday with somewhat lighter COVID restrictions this year, for elderly Holocaust survivors, the festival is still a lonely experience. Israel365 went out of our way to provide care and concern for our precious Holocaust survivors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease by bringing therapy services to their homes to help get them through the holiday season. Additionally, we fixed up a number of homes of Holocaust survivors who were living in unsanitary and even dangerous conditions, as you can see in the photographs below.
The central electrical wiring in the home of Holocaust survivor Judith Cohen in Ashkelon was exposed, tangled and dangling at the entrance to her apartment. Thanks to your support, we constructed a wall that would house the central system, and secured the wiring so that Mrs. Cohen could have a safe home to live in.
BIBLE EDUCATION AND ISRAEL ADVOCACY
Since last Passover, one IDF soldier was killed in the line of duty, protecting his country: Amit ben Yigal. We worked closely with his family and produced a beautiful tribute to his memory by publishing “The Israel Bible IDF Passover Haggadah.” We emailed copies of the PDF to you and mailed out copies of physical volumes as a token of our appreciation to you as a supporter of our work, and if you did not receive one and would like us to mail you another copy, simply let us know.
We also organized a social media campaign encouraging people to leave an empty seat at the table which garnered over 10,000 views on Facebook with the hashtag, #Seat4Amit. You can read more about it on Times of Israel and on Israel365 News.
LOOKING AHEAD
April promises to be another exciting month for the Israel365 Charity Fund as we commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day along with Yom Hazikaron. We also celebrate Israeli independence day on Thursday, April 15th, known as Yom Haatzmaut. We will continue to care for the poor and needy, comfort Holocaust survivors, plant trees and support IDF soldiers – known of which would be possible without your financial support.
On behalf of all those we are fortunate to assist, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love for the People and the Land of Israel.
Shalom,
Rabbi Tuly Weisz