JERUSALEM — The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) will provide Passover assistance in the amount of approximately $6.2 million to Israeli families, children, elderly, new olim (immigrants), and soldiers, as well as $700,000 to help needy Jewish populations in the former Soviet Union (FSU). This more than doubles the amount of assistance that The Fellowship distributed last Passover. This aid will provide food, clothing, and matzah to 230,000 people worldwide. The increase in assistance is due to a sharp increase in the number of people in need of financial assistance due to layoffs, unpaid sick leave, and business closures.
The Fellowship’s aid includes:
- 10,000 food cards for soldiers and their families
- More than 38,700 food cards and boxes for families in need worldwide, including the “new poor” who are struggling financially due to the coronavirus crisis
- 940 special Passover food packages for new olim families celebrating their first Passover seder in Israel
- Distribution of additional meals and food boxes through soup kitchens for 4,500 more people, including families and elderly
- 60,000 boxes of matzah across the FSU, so people can celebrate Passover
- 22,200 clothing cards to 22,200 children
“Due to the coronavirus crisis, we’ve seen an unprecedented rise in the need for food and other essentials among families, elderly, and other vulnerable populations,” said President and CEO of The Fellowship, Yael Eckstein. “This Passover, thanks to our faithful Christian supporters, The Fellowship has more than doubled our assistance to cover thousands of new people who had earned a respectable living, but now need help celebrating the holiday and meeting their day-to-day needs. The fact that we can do this during a time when so many people are in dire straits economically is really a testament to our supporters’ commitment to blessing Israel and the Jewish people, in both good times and challenging times.”
The Fellowship works to assist impoverished, at-risk Jewish populations in Israel and around the world, support aliyah (immigration to Israel) and klitah (resettlement), and invest in the security of Israeli citizens in times of emergency. All this is thanks to the generous donations of Christians around the world who love Israel. During its 37 years of activity, The Fellowship has raised close to $2 billion, from more than 2.1 million donors, for the benefit of hundreds of social projects in Israel and the former Soviet Union.
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) was founded in 1983 to promote better understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews and build broad support for Israel. Today it is one of the leading forces helping Israel and Jews in need worldwide — and is the largest channel of Christian support for Israel. Founded by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, The Fellowship now raises more than $120 million per year, mostly from Christians, to assist Israel and the Jewish people. Since its founding, The Fellowship has raised more than $1.8 billion for this work. The organization has offices in Jerusalem, Chicago, Toronto and Seoul. For more information, visit www.ifcj.org.
Yael Eckstein is the President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. In this role, Eckstein oversees all ministry programs and serves as the organization’s international spokesperson. She can be heard on The Fellowship’s daily radio program airing on 1,500 stations worldwide. Before her present duties, Yael served as global executive vice president, senior vice president, and director of program development and ministry outreach. Based in Jerusalem, Yael is a published writer, leading international advocate for persecuted religious minorities, and a respected social services professional. As President and CEO of The Fellowship, she also holds the rare distinction of being a woman leading one of America’s largest religious not-for-profit organizations.
Website | www.IFCJ.org • Facebook | The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
Twitter | @TheFellowship • Instagram | @TheFellowship
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