Holocaust Memorial Day has come and gone, with all those stories that emanated out of horrific circumstances. In our times, last year 15,000 Holocaust Survivors passed away.
However, today there are 147,199 Holocaust Survivors living in Israel. 521 just came in from Ukraine last year. Did you know that 63% of Israel’s Holocaust Survivors are European Ashkenazi’s, 37% are Sfaradi (from the Mediterranean area and Middle East)?
Around 20%, 27,765 survivors are from Morocco and Algeria, where they suffered discrimination and harassment under the Nazi-allied Vichy government. 11% are from Iraq, survivors of the Nazi-inspired Farhud pogrom of June 1941. 7% are from Libya and Tunisia, countries that during the Holocaust passed racist laws against Jews and imprisoned their communities in labor camps. Some of the Jewish community were also sent to the Giado concentration camp in Libya.
The Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel said last year that roughly 1 in 2 survivors lives in poverty, with many dependent on food donations. This should not be.
Israel Relief Aid decided to give aid to Holocaust Survivors in the north; thousands of new eyeglass cases, quilts and walker bags were distributed to them (all from an aid container imported from California).
Israel Relief Aid’s two May projects will include food bags to Holocaust Survivors and immigrants from Ukraine up in the city of Tzfat, as well as giving food bags to hard-core Muslim poverty families in Nazareth. It totally turns their heads as they can’t believe that Jews are giving them real meaningful help. This is the kind of thinking we need in Israel these days! You are invited to join in these projects in May.
