Over 1,000,000 people who live under the poverty line in Israel will get a gift from the government for Passover – $5 towards a food basket! In 2016 the government handed out just 20 NIS ($5) per basket. Unfortunately, $5 buys little in Israel. What can you buy? One gallon of milk, a carton of eggs or one box of regular matzo – but not all three. 20 NIS per family can certainly not provide a family a joyful or dignified Seder and holiday.

Yad Ezra V’Shulamit calls on all Jewish people and their friends to help close the gap. “No one can make Passover with $5 and the government knows it. It counts on us to provide for Israel’s poor. Most people do not realize that 1/3 of all Israelis are categorized as needy,” says Aryeh Lurie, founder of Yad Ezra V’Shulamit. “We are on par with Mexico for the number of children who live below the poverty line. We ask everyone to give at least one food basket. We read at the Seder, ‘whoever is hungry, let them come eat’ and we need to make this a reality for all Israelis. We have no choice but to turn to the public to help fill the gap. One small basket costs $100 and $150 for a large family – at least 95% more than the $5 subsidy. We hope that the government will increase this meagre contribution to Israel’s poor. However, since we will not know the final amount of the government contribution until after Passover, we are turning to you, here and abroad, to make up the difference and ensure that everyone in Israel will be able to celebrate the holiday, free from hunger and most importantly, with the dignity due the Holiday.

In the next few weeks, Yad Ezra V’Shulamit will be distributing food baskets and food vouchers to 20,000 families, feeding over 100,000 people. If you would like to help cover the shortfall and ‘invite the hungry of Israel to eat this Passover,’ please CLICK HERE.