August 6, 2009

Shalom,

Whenever I walk down the lively streets of Jerusalem to do my daily grocery shopping, I am struck by the number of beggars on the streets. On nearly every corner are people whose stories of poverty and desperation are written on their faces.

Sadly, it is all too easy to see these poor residents of Jerusalem simply as people asking for change, rather than individuals with their own compelling life stories—equally precious in God's sight as anyone else. This point was driven home to me when I finally took the time to speak to David, a homeless man who I give to daily, but had never talked to before. In him, I found a hero where I least expected to.

David is a religious man who roams the streets with a smile asking for change. He walks with a limp and wears old black shoes with holes in them. In return for the coins dropped into his cup, David gives out blessings. Normally, I hand him a few shekels, smile, and continue on my way. But on this beautiful Sunday morning I was feeling rather social. After giving David some money I asked him to tell me a little about himself. His response was unlike anything I could have imagined.

David is a real live hero. He fought for Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and witnessed nearly all of his comrades get killed by an enemy bomb. David walks with a limp to this day because his leg and stomach never fully healed from the blast. The horrible memory of this incident, along with his physical wounds, left David traumatized.

He explained to me, wistfully, that when he returned to his wife and six children after the war, life did not prove to be easy. He was unable to sleep because of nightmares, and endured flashbacks and physical pain all day. A year after he came home, his wife could no longer deal with the hardship of caring for him and asked David to leave their home. Still, they managed to remain on good terms, and David spent the Sabbath with the family every week. He also agreed to give his ex-wife most of his social security and disability payments so that she could buy food for the children. David was left with only $225 a month to live on, and no possibility of landing a job because of his disabilities, and lack of experience and education.

In a voice tinged with sadness, he described how, out of necessity, he moved into the homeless shelter in Jerusalem where he still lives today. He spends the funds from the government on food and comes out to the streets to beg for money to pay for the four medicines his doctors prescribe to him monthly to ease the physical and emotional wounds he incurred during the war. Usually he only raises enough money to buy one or two of them and so endures nearly unbearable pain.

David's story stunned me. Immediately I began to think of what I could do to help him further. I asked him to take me to the drug store where he buys his medicine. With the same familiar smile on his face, David limped his way to the pharmacy down the street. The pharmacist confirmed every word of what he had told me and even showed me the bill for each of his medicines. She explained that David usually comes in with bags of change to pay for them, and that, even on a "good" month, he can never afford them all. I immediately handed the pharmacist my credit card and told her to give David whatever he needed. His face lit up like he just won the lottery, and I realized how precious to him are these expensive medicines that, at least temporarily, relieve his suffering. I also told David about The Fellowship and its many programs to help poor Israelis in Jerusalem and beyond. Through The Fellowship, he will at last be able to get the long-term support and care he needs.

After this bittersweet experience with David, I look at every beggar I encounter in a different light. We have all read the statistics that 1 in 3 children in Israel live below the poverty line. Yet behind those numbers lie real, flesh-and-blood human beings. Every needy person has a story.

David is not an alcoholic, a drug addict, or irresponsible—he's a war hero who sacrificed his health and his relationship with his family to defend his country. Instead of living comfortably on his government issued check, he first ensures that his children eat and have a roof over their heads. David's life has been about giving enormously to others, even at the cost of being left on the street to beg for change from passers-by.

Through our Guardians of Israel program, The Fellowship helps poor people in Israel like David every day, ensuring that they are fed, clothed, and kept in good physical and emotional health. For many, it is the only help they receive beyond a tiny government pension that barely provides for their needs. We try to help as many people as we can. But there are still those we cannot help with the resources we have. So today, I ask you to help us continue this critically important work through a gift to Guardians of Israel.

On behalf of David and so many others like him, thank you all so much for providing for Israel's needy through The Fellowship. You have heard David's cries, and answered with action. May God bless you!

With blessings from Jerusalem,
Yael