Last month, Fellowship staff visited the Meir Panim soup kitchen in Jerusalem, which specializes in food box distribution and offers fully prepared hot meals for elderly and Jewish families in need. People also line up to fill their bags with fresh fruit and vegetables – which are rising in cost with each visit to the supermarket.
The Fellowship met a beneficiary and his wife who made aliyah from Venezuela five years ago. As a regular of Meir Panim, the food assistance they receive weekly goes a long way. He expressed gratitude for the hot meals and produce and says that he and his wife are happy with their lives in the Holy Land.
They had come from quite a difficult situation in Venezuela. The government was hostile towards the Jewish community. Many Venezuelan Jews left the country. Security wasn’t the only struggle – the nation’s economic circumstances made everyday life increasingly difficult. Aliyah is also difficult, as there is no aid framework in Venezuela. After hearing cases of Colombian Jews who received Fellowship assistance, the beneficiary and his wife went to Colombia to immigrate to Israel.
As several of our beneficiaries through Meir Panim have told us, what The Fellowship has helped organize is a lifeline for many of the elderly who line up in the morning right before the kitchen opens. They no longer must choose between purchasing essential medicine or the food they need. Our support also lets them know that they do not face their despair alone. The Fellowship doesn’t just financially support our partners like Meir Panim. We join them on the ground shoulder-to-shoulder.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
