Israel:Â Redeeming the Poor
“He who is crushed by poverty is as if he were subject to all the afflictions of the world.”
 - Midrash Rabbah, Exodus, 31:12.Â
Israeli government figures reveal that 1 in 3 children in Israel live in poverty. According to figures from Israel’s National Insurance Institute, Israel’s overall proportion of poor has risen from 15% during the 1990s to 20% of the population.
Social service organizations in Israel are manned by trained and dedicated professionals but are understaffed. For several years, Ve’ahavta has sent volunteers to Israel to work with the poorest of Israel’s poor.
In the wake of Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel and Hamas’ ongoing attacks in Sderot and Ashkelon, Ve’ahvata will be sending volunteers to work in social service organizations in northern Israel.
We have been invited by the Municipality of Karmiel (which sustained direct hits from Hezbollah rockets) to provide a variety of professional and lay volunteers who will increase the municipality’s ability to fight poverty through a range of its own projects, including:
- Early Childhood and Parenting Support
- Education for At-Risk Children
- Training Program for Young Women’s Empowerment
- Advancement of Women’s Health in Israel
- Wise Nutrition
- Absorption of Immigrants
- Study Centres
- Community Development
- Education for Science and Technology
- Vocational Training and Adult Education
Our volunteers range from skilled social workers and teachers to younger students who can provide hands-on assistance, as needed, to any project activity. Our volunteers strengthen initiatives in the Municipality of Karmiel by increasing the human resources at its disposal and providing needed support for its projects. By doing so we share with Israelis in the social development of Israel.
We propose to send 40 volunteers annually to Israel.