Help Israel's Elderly Maintain Their Dignity

Many elderly Israelis have persevered through seemingly unendurable challenges. Some are Holocaust survivors. Others have come to Israel to escape vicious anti-Semitism in their countries of origin. Now, in their later years, they face new challenges. One recent study showed that one fourth of Israel’s elderly live in poverty, with barely enough food, heating fuel, and warm clothing to survive. Some are seriously ill, and cannot afford the simplest of medications.

Your support of our Guardians of Israel program gives all-important material assistance – as well as hope and companionship – to elderly Israelis in the form of communal meals, food packages, in home healthcare, heating fuel and blankets, and more. Don’t allow them to be forgotten. Please give to Guardians of Israel today

Miriam: Finding Comfort in Support from Friends of Israel

Miriam moved to Israel from Morocco nearly 30 years ago with her husband. Today, at 83, she is a widow, bedridden from illness, and living in Sderot, a town that has been the target of constant rocket attacks from nearby Gaza. Read More

Stricken by Tragedy

For Sergei and Rivka, immigrating some years back to Israel from Belarus was the realization of their prayers and dreams. This couple longed to come to their Jewish homeland and raise a family. But little did they know what lay ahead for them. Sergei was a hard-working electrician, and Rivka worked part-time as a seamstress to help meet the family's financial needs. Read More

Feeding a sick, destitute widow

Freida is an elderly immigrant from Iran, where she was a physical therapist for over 30 years. When she had the opportunity to make a top-secret aliyah (immigration to Israel) to Israel a few years ago, she was forced to leave all of her belongings behind. She arrived in Israel with the clothes on her back. Read More

"Before the Center, I had nowhere to go, nothing to do."

Gedabaresh feels blessed to be living in Israel with her adult son but she will never forget the dangerous journey they were forced to endure to arrive in the Holy Land. Ten years ago, Gedabaresh told her only son that they would soon leave their village in Ethiopia for Jerusalem. Read More

"Thank you for caring about otherwise forgotten people."

Adissa arrived in Israel eight years ago by herself. Her husband died in Ethiopia just two months before they had the opportunity to fly to Israel. Adissa is missing most of her front teeth, yet smiles widely while singing holiday songs at the Fellowship-sponsored Center for Ethiopian Elderly. Read More