Project Spotlight: Passover Food Box Delivery

The Fellowship  |  March 20, 2018

Elderly Jewish woman sitting with Yael Eckstein while going through an IFCJ food box.

To ensure that elderly impoverished Jews have the special foods they need to celebrate Passover, which begins on March 31 this year, The Fellowship has begun delivering food packages to beneficiaries of our With Dignity and Fellowship project.

Yael Eckstein recently delivered some of these Passover food packages to elderly Israelis, including Nelli, an 81-year-old Holocaust survivor. Nelli was born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, which was invaded by the Nazis when she was just 4 years old. While her father fought in the Soviet army, Nelli, her mother, her grandmother, and her infant sister fled to Siberia.

As a girl growing up under Communism, Nelli didn’t know anything about Judaism. All she knew was that in her house there was one pot for meat and a separate one for dairy (according to the kosher requirements).

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Nelli has become an observant Jewish woman, spending her time praying and learning about Judaism. She made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) in 2000 with her husband, who has since passed away. The couple had no children, so Nelli is alone – and now struggles to get by in her final years.

Nelli was grateful for the visit from Yael, bringing the foods she needs to truly celebrate Passover, as well as warm companionship and the encouraging reminder that she is not forgotten.

Join us in saving lives this Passover!

Stay informed about issues affecting Israel, the Jewish people, Jewish-Christian relations, receive daily devotionals, and more.