Dozens of families across Israel will be hosting Holocaust survivors for the
Passover seder this year as part of a national project organized by the NGO
Shorashim Shel Netina, dedicated to helping survivors in the country.
The
project, which is called “A house full of light,” is being organized for the
first time this year and is being run in conjunction with municipalities all
over the country helping the NGO find host families who are willing to pick up
the survivors and drive them back home after the holiday
dinner.
According to the organization, over 320 survivors have already
been invited for the occasion and registration for participation in the project
only opened a few days ago.
“I could not believe that anyone would ever
want to and agree to host me for the holiday,” a 79-year-old survivor from Lod
said on Sunday.
“Usually, I share the food package I get each year for
the holiday mainly with myself ,” she said. “This will be the first time in
years that I will have a Seder and I am very excited.”
Segev-Israel
Afriat, the executive director of Shorashim Shel Netina, explained that the main
objective of the project is to allow Holocaust survivors to feel the holiday
atmosphere and enjoy the night of the Seder in the company of
others.
“Food packages, as big and full as they may be, are not enough to
fill the soul,” he said in a statement.
“Just the thought of Holocaust
survivors having to sit alone on the night of the holiday makes me deeply sad,
which is why I decided that this year we will start something to change that,”
he continued.
Afriat also explained that he hopes this initiative will
open the door for other similar events for survivors throughout the year such as
Shabbat dinners and other holidays.
This year, the Welfare and Social
Services Ministry also announced that it will distribute some 13,000 food
vouchers of NIS 280 each to senior citizens in need across the country, which
amounts to some NIS 4 million for the project.
The ministry will spend an
additional NIS 4.5 million to finance food basket distributions for 72 different
NGOs and foundations dedicated to the elderly in Israel.
Arrangements
will also be made to allow seniors to receive nursing care for at least four
days during the holiday, as many aides who assist them in their daily lives will
be on vacation next week.
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