By staff writers

Over the past eight days, across Israel little candle lights have been flickering in the windows of homes while in the streets, larger Hannukiahs with its nine candlesticks shone brighter with each night.

Every evening the center “servant” candle called the shamash lights one of the eight other candlesticks.

The Festival of Hannukah is a time to remember and celebrate the miracle that occurred when the Temple was rededicated. Although there was only a small vial of oil, sufficient to light the Temple’s candelabrum for one night, miraculously, this oil lasted for eight nights!

In addition to cheerful singing and dancing as the candles are lit, the sweet delights of sufganiyot (donuts) deep fried in oil are plentiful!

During this time of the Hannukah celebration, ICEJ Homecare continues their dedicated weekly visitations to the elderly Russian Jews who so often feel sidelined by society.   

Most of these elderly immigrants survived the darkness of the Second World War. For many of them it has remained an unprocessed low point of their existence, which still casts a shadow over their lives, and the wounds remain raw even in their lives to this day.

“We may not be aware of it, but every survivor is a miracle. Many of them are the sole survivors of a family, of a generation, and sometimes even of an entire community” says Corrie van Maanen, ICEJ Homecare nurse.

Zachar is all alone in Israel. He is a 95-year-old blind holocaust survivor who so looks forward to his Homecare visits, and Corrie knows that a cup of tea will always be waiting for her!

As they sit together, he carefully begins his Hannukah story, searching in the memories of his heart: “I was five years old; my grandparents were religious; my grandfather had a purse and when it was Hanukkah, he took out a ‘kapeika’ (money) for us. Together with my sister, she was two years older, we were allowed to go to the grocery store to buy special small cookies with that money.” His fingers show how small the cookies were. “I was standing close to my sister, and she had to buy them. When we got home, our little brother was waiting for us to share in the goodies. The years before I was born, there had been violent pogroms, and mother and father had to hide.”

Pondering, Zachar continues: “Our beautiful Hanukkah candlestick was gone, everything was stolen. My father made a hanukkiah from a potato, a hole in it, a little oil and a fuse.” Zachar pauses for a moment, as if he sees it all again. “I had lovely parents, they loved us children. I remember it all so well because after the communists took over, our lives were full of fear.”

Zachar slowly drinks his tea, enjoying each sip as he savors every moment of his Homecare visit. While he is telling a story of his life, more than 85 years later in his kitchen in Jerusalem, the dust is blown off the memories that took place so long ago. In Zachar’s life there have been many situations in which the God of Israel provided him protection and kept him from evil. In his life, he has also been able to experience miracles during much suffering.

These dear elderly people are very precious in the sight of the God of Israel. We know He cares for the most vulnerable of His people and does it through the kind of support that you give. Thank you for your giving. Your contribution touches their lives, spreads light to their world and lifts their hearts. Please continue to support the work of ICEJ Homecare at: give.icej.org/homecare