Much of Israel’s elderly population are not only hungry – they live in isolation. The Fellowship, which has partnered with the Colel Chabad organization for more than 20 years to deliver food weekly to thousands of elderly Israelis, has worked for years to serve the physical and emotional needs of the elderly. The Jersualem Post calls this service the cure to loneliness.
Says Zalman Duchman, executive director of Colel Chabad, “Dignity and respect are primary principles of Colel Chabad.” It’s our great privilege to help them because they are our brothers and sisters.”
Approximately 1.2 million citizens aged 65 and over live in Israel today, comprising 12% of the nation’s population. Many older adults in Israel do not have enough to eat. And according to Duchman, more than 16,000 older adults are chronically lonely and have little to no contact with other people. Research has shown that there is a 50% increase in the risk of dementia due to social isolation in old age, and a 68% increase in the risk of hospitalization among older men and women who experience loneliness. In addition, data show that about 33% of men and women aged 75 and over report experiencing loneliness, which not only affects their overall well-being but also increases their risk of illness and has significant economic consequences.
Shaya and the other workers who bring food each day perform a service that is much more than just delivering food. They are keeping in touch with the elderly, speaking to them, and inquiring about their welfare.
B’chavod u’viyedidut means “in dignity and friendship.” These are the principles that Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein of blessed memory followed and why he had chosen the name “The Fellowship” for our organization. These values are shared among our partners like Colel Chabad.
“Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone,” Psalm 71:9
