With the arrival of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) has reaffirmed its support for the Holocaust survivor community through its Dignity and Fellowship Program, which supports 17,000 of Israel’s poorest elderly over the age of 80, including 8,500 Holocaust survivors, in 54 municipalities across the country.
The program is committed to providing Holocaust survivors with food every week for the rest of their lives. Additionally, it enables survivors to engage in various social and practical services.
Much-needed aid for Holocaust survivors
The support provided by the organization is vital, as a 2023 study that assessed the needs of the survivor community by the Foundation for the Welfare of Holocaust Victims found that 22% of those who require financial support were forced to give up necessities due to lack of funds, including the use of electrical or medical equipment, medical tests, clothing, and other basic needs.
97-year-old Merra Vinogradov, a Holocaust survivor who regularly receives food deliveries from the IFCJ, explained how the Fellowship had helped her, providing her with essential needs and more.
“I don’t need much and have always managed with little. The food deliveries from the Fellowship mean that I don’t have to worry about not having enough money for food. I can buy meat, fruit, and vegetables and don’t feel the lack of food like I did during my youth,” she explained.
Dedicated to their mission
According to the organization, “supporting and caring for Holocaust survivors is at the very heart of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews’ 40-year mission.
“Our responsibility, and the responsibility of our hundreds of thousands of supporters around the world, is to care for this community, with dignity and respect, in every way possible while we still have the chance,” explained Yael Eckstein, President of the IFCJ.
Eckstein then elaborated on her firm commitment to continue the organization’s work for as long as it can.
“We will make sure that Holocaust survivors are not forgotten and are provided with at least their basic needs until that tragic day when the last one leaves our world,” Eckstein concluded. “These are people who suffered the worst and experienced unspeakable sacrifices and loss, and we owe it to them to spread the message of ‘Never Again’ through action in a way that honors their lives.”