While the IDF continues its ground war in Gaza to eliminate Hamas terrorists and with ongoing clashes on the northern border, it appears that the hundreds of thousands of Jewish evacuees from Gaza border settlements and Israel's northern and southern towns will not be able to return to their communities in the immediate future.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Rising to the aid of thousands of these evacuees are Colel Chabad which was founded by the Lubavitcher Rebbe of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, the Olga and Lev Leviev Foundation, the World Central Kitchen, and The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), which represents nearly 400 independent Jewish communities.
"These organizations united to support Israel's evacuees, and in the past two weeks alone have sponsored NIS 2M (about $500,000) on in meals and grocery store vouchers. Residents of Ofakim, Ashkelon, Maaleh Yosef, Maalot Tarshicha, Netivot, and Sadot Hanegev who are currently lodging in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Herzliyya, Lod, Modi'in Illit, Netanya, Petach Tikva, Rishon Letzion and Tel Aviv are receiving daily help in the form of delicious hot meals and gift cards that enable them to purchase food and household staples," a press release noted.
New York resident Chagit Leviev-Sofiev, daughter of Israeli diamond magnate and real estate investor philanthropist Lev Leviev and President & CEO, Leviev Group USA & Leviev Diamonds, said: "We are delighted to collaborate with Colel Chabad and the JFNA in this special project. We weren't searching for something glamorous or popular, but to help people who are really and truly in need of help right now because of the war, people who were forced to leave their homes and have no one else to help them."
Leviev-Sofiev, a mother of four, credits her father for imbuing her with a sense of philanthropy as a cherished value. "My parents have built hundreds and hundreds of schools, community centers, and mikvahs and orphanages throughout Europe," she said. She adds that charity is not only for the wealthy. "Charity means giving ten percent of what you make. It's not yours. The 10% is not yours – it's to give to others."
While these organizations have all acted independently since Oct. 7 in a variety of ways to support Israel's soldiers, reservists, and their families, and to support families of hostages, they've now joined forces to ease the plight of the evacuees, coordinating with local restaurants and kitchens across the country to serve meals to people who have been displaced from their homes.
"Every day, we hear of more families that are now impoverished and children who go to sleep hungry because their parents are currently unemployed and can't afford to buy food. We're doing everything we can to provide for their needs while preserving their dignity," Rabbi Shalom Duchman of Collel Chabad said.
The initiative, which was launched just two weeks ago, distributes thousands of meals daily to families of evacuees. In Bnei Brak alone, over one thousand meals get delivered and eaten every day. In addition, hundreds of gift cards have been distributed to displaced families who can use them to purchase food.
"For many families whose worlds have turned upside down, this is literally a lifesaver. We want to make sure that no child goes to sleep hungry," his colleague Rabbi Mendy Blau, adds.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
