By: Laurina Driesse

In the heart of the Israeli port city of Haifa, the ICEJ has established a unique Home for Holocaust survivors which offers a sanctuary for Jews who suffered at Nazi hands during World War II.

Over the past year, the Haifa Home saw its new building expansion completed just in time to receive an influx of Holocaust survivors needing to again escape the atrocities of war, this time from the Russian assault on Ukraine.

The Home saw the arrival of 17 Ukrainian survivors of the Holocaust who have taken up residence in the new ICEJ apartment building. Each new resident carries their own tragic story of bravery and survival as they arrived with a suitcase loaded only with essentials, leaving behind a lifetime of memories. In addition, another survivor from Israel also recently moved into the Home.

Sadly, six of our residents passed away during 2022, while another two relocated to more suitable nursing homes to provide more intensive care for their medical conditions.  

This means that there are 54 Holocaust survivors in total currently living at the Home, while several dozen more survivors living in nearby neighborhoods of Haifa also regularly take part in the Home’s weekly activities.

The ICEJ team also welcomed new Christian volunteers who serve the survivors so faithfully, doing physical activities with them and offering love and comfort to them. One of the new volunteers speaks Russian and Romanian, which makes communicating with the survivors easier.

Through your generous giving, our sponsorship of the Home also includes fourteen 24/7 caregivers coming from five nations, including six from the Philippines, two from Moldova, four from Ukraine, one from India and one from Sri Lanka.

The ICEJ’s “Adopt a Survivor” initiative is still running strong, with our adoption partners coming from 15 countries this year. We received approximately 250 beautiful letters and packages for the survivors during the year. Have you thought about joining the “Adopt a Survivor” project?   

The Haifa Home seeks to enable all its residents to live out their final years surrounded by love and professional support. Our ongoing support is vital, and the “Adopt a Survivor’ program is an opportunity to contribute in meaningful ways. If you have a desire to express your love and support to these precious people who went through the horrors of the Holocaust, you can opt for a monthly commitment to ensure ongoing quality care and daily therapeutic activities for the residents. To find out more about this opportunity, email us at: icejaid@icej.org

The ICEJ also helped launch a national call center in Israel last year which operates around the clock on weekdays. The call center is manned by staff and community volunteers across Israeli society as well as youth performing their year of national service. These teams are actively reaching out to hundreds of Holocaust survivors every day to inquire about their condition and needs, and then work to immediately assist them. For instance, they help provide medical and rehabilitation equipment, oxygen generators, wheelchairs and walkers, surveillance cameras for continuous assistance, as well as prescribed medications, hot meals, and groceries, all free of charge to the Holocaust survivors and other elderly In Israel. The volunteers also pay home visits, and deliver blankets, appliances, and other household items, as needed.  Here are some interesting call center statistics:

• Calls received (loneliness): 21,000 calls per year
• Urgent calls for help: 125 times this year
• Providing furniture: 13 houses
• Repairs to homes:  27 houses
• Delivering hot meals: 21,120 meals
• Delivering food packages: 1,500 packages (including at Passover and Rosh HaShanah)

Please continue to extend your hand of compassion to deserving Holocaust survivors in Israel by supporting the work of the ICEJ Haifa Home for Holocaust survivors and our related initiatives. Thank you for caring, and for giving your best gift today! Donate at:  give.icej.org/survivors