Project Spotlight: Helping Israel’s Neediest Children

The Fellowship  |  September 14, 2021

A new survey commissioned by The Fellowship shows that more than a quarter of Israeli parents cannot afford school supplies for their children and 30% cannot accommodate the equipment needed for distance learning during the pandemic. Writers at the Jerusalem Post explain that the survey reveals shocking statistics on how pandemic related poverty is affecting children in Israel and how The Fellowship is responding:

The survey showed COVID-19 hit economically-vulnerable populations particularly hard. More than half (54%) said they could not afford school supplies, while 52% said they couldn’t afford new backpacks.

The Fellowship has committed to address this need and provide backpacks full of school supplies to 900 of Israel’s neediest children. This is part of The Fellowship’s initiate is launching for Rosh Hashanah, which more than doubles its High Holy Days support in 2020 to $11 million.

“As a mother of four, I know how important school is for children”, said Yael Eckstein, President and CEO of The Fellowship. “They need a safe place to learn, to socialize, to have structure in their lives at a time when the world seems so chaotic. And they need the tools to learn. Lack of funds should not be a barrier. We’re so grateful for our hundreds of thousands of donors who are giving Israeli schoolchildren – and their parents – the support they need at a time when so many are struggling”.