More than 1,200 elderly in Israel, many of them Holocaust survivors, are receiving personal visits to brighten their Hanukkah holiday, this year.
A cadre of 620 volunteers is being dispatched to light new Hanukkah menorahs and provide companionship to those in need via the new “Lighting Up in Fellowship” program sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ).
“Loneliness is one of the hardest challenges for elderly Israelis — sometimes that struggle outweighs the usual daily battle for financial survival,” said the IFCJ’s Founder and President, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.
“It is important that we banish the dark and bring light and warmth to the lives of the elderly in Israel on Hanukkah and throughout the year.”
Eckstein said the organization is hoping to triple the number of volunteers for the upcoming Purim holiday, on February 28, 2018.
“We must recruit volunteers to help our parents’ generation – because thanks to them, we are here today.”