Yad Eliezer/B’Ezri, known as a credible and foremost support organization for Yesomim and Almanos in Eretz Yisrael, is getting what’s needed done in houses, groceries and on the ground of Israel.
We’ve been familiar with Yad Eliezer’s work for, we can say, decades. Starting October 7th, their role in taking care of Eretz Yisrael’s widows and orphans increased manifold.
Since then, they’ve been taking care of all the existing families under their care, and so many new families due to parents being killed or taken hostage. They’re also taking care of families from the south and north that have been displaced. They’re just trying to do whatever they can, for as many families as they can.
Here’s a timeline from Yad Eliezer of just what they’ve accomplished this past week!
Sunday 10/15:
– Today we ordered thousands of diapers + wipes, diaper paste, and baby food for families from Sderot who are displaced to Yerushalayim.
– We also filled a list of requests from them and delivered it to their hosts. This included specific requests, from art materials for children (glue, scotch tape, paper, markers, crayons, paint, bows, crape paper, string, arts and crafts) to underwear for women, children of all ages, and men.
– Winter jackets and hydration packs are also on their way!
Monday 10/16:
– We are working on taking care of the laundry for 400 Sderot families (2000 people) staying in hotels in Yerushalayim.
– There is a shortage of workers. So, we got three neighborhoods to take it on. Hundreds of women did the laundry for them! They are dropping off 100 bags now in one neighborhood!
– One of our programs is to support gerushot and agunos. We are now sending 1000 shekel each to 189 gerushot and agunos in Ashkelon, Netivot, Ofakim and other cities in the south. Says Yossi Adler, the Israeli director, “These families, at the best of times, face extreme difficulty. Imagine what it must be like for them to be locked down into their homes or shelters without funds for the basics!”
– Also working on volunteers for babysitting and other requests coming in from displaced families.
– We are also getting ready for the increase in requests as families get evacuated from the north, most being put up in Yerushalayim and Tel Aviv.
A letter from a recipient:
“I must share. I really thought about who should be thanked. We live in Ofakim, and on Thursday night/Friday I went through very difficult moments. All my friends told me that I should leave for Shabbat, but it was not possible. I kept thinking– how will I get out of this frame of mind and enter Shabbat happily and calmly with 5 sweet girls who don’t give me a second’s rest? I did what I did and somehow managed to get the house going for Shabbos, and then the announcement came about the distribution of the games and toys from B’Ezri. It made me so happy that there would be something that would make the girls who were left here, almost alone, happy. A lot of their friends left the city. It made our Shabbat! The message I wanted to convey is that we enjoyed these things much more than their monetary value (which is also a lot in my estimation). I think that if they brought me 500 NIS to buy what I want, it would not be as gratifying as this kit that arrived for Shabbat at the most perfect moment!!! Thank you and thank you again. What I have said here is just a little, I cannot express in words the great appreciation I have for all my partners. Blessed are you Klal Yisroell!!!”
Tuesday 10/17:
– We installed two washers and dryers in the Ramada hotel so that the displaced families can access them.
– We have rebbeim teaching kids in the hotels.
Here’s more details of what was spent so far:
For families in the South:
– 146,000 shekel for 189 gerushot and agunot
– 471,000 shekel on books, toys, arts and craft projects for kids in Ofakim, Netivot, Ashkelon, Tifrach etc.
– 190,000 shekel on 35 pallets of pretzels, chips, bamba, Bissli for kids in the south
– 45,000 shekel on 2400 boxes of cornflakes for families in the south
For IDF Soldiers:
– On IDF needs we’ve already spent: 360,000 shekel for 5,000 soft shell winter jackets. Plus over 200,000 shekel for: masks for IDF teams working with bodies, armored vests, hydration packs, tents for soldiers up north (who were sleeping under the trees), tzitizis, thermal shirts, tactical gloves, headlamps, Go Pros and even communication equipment for a Yishuv who needed if for their security team doing night shift.
Displaced families in Jerusalem:
– 47,000 shekel for diapers, wipes, formula, food, underwear, and school supplies * Note: We’ve also arranged hundreds of volunteers. The cost in Yerushalayim is significantly reduced because we’ve been arranging volunteers to do laundry, babysitting, and more.
– We are currently working on food for 2600 families in the south.
– There are 20,000 winter coats on a boat arriving in 3 weeks for our winter distribution for poor families. Plus other upcoming “regular” poverty needs we deal with. We usually campaign for those, but we’ve only been talking about the war.
No, Yad Eliezer doesn’t know what will be needed in the coming months. They rise to the occasion each day when they see the needs on the ground. This is an organization that you can trust.