According to Malki Don of the Yad Ezra V’Shulamit chessed fund in Carmiel, in 2007 they assisted 100 families and in 2008, about 700, with 20 more joining weekly as the financial situation continues to deteriorate.
“Now we need assistance” she explains, adding many wholesalers are willing to sell flour at a reduced price but can no longer make donations.
Today, there is an estimated 3,000 tzedaka aid organizations around Israel, and many if not most are on the verge of collapse, unable to meet the growing demand for basic food needs and assistance.
While the demand has increased tens of percent, the donations from North America are down over $1 billion annually and the picture in Israel is rapidly mimicking N. America as major donors are stopping to infuse funds into tzedaka organizations.
“This coming Pessach, many will remain without basic supplies. We need a miracle” she adds.
According to a Ben-Gurion University study, of 25,000 registered non-profits, about 4,000 are on the verge of collapse. One of every five non-profits is reporting major monetary difficulties. 30% have cuts programs and 13% have ceased all programs. 15% have fired workers and 20% have reduced hours of employees.
According to the university study, quoting figures released by the Prime Minister’s Office, 15% of employees of non-profits were fired in 2008 and this year, they expect tens of thousands of others to follow suit.
Dr. Yaron Sokolov of the Manhigut Ezrachit organization is calling on the national government to step in immediately, stating the thousands of non-profits are doing the job of the government and if they are not bailed out, the results will be disastrous. “Hundreds of thousands of residents are waiting for a miracle” he added.
The nationwide L’Tet organization explains “there is simply nothing left to give”. L’Tet, one of the largest in the country, supplies food parcels for 120 non-profits around Israel, which in turn sub-distribute in different cities and areas. L’Tet’s annual operating budget is NIS 40 million. According to L’Tet’s director Eren Weintraub, donations are down at least 20%.
Weintraub laments that the crunch will already be felt this Pessach by those who need the assistance the most, adding last Pesach, his organization assisted 200,000 people but this year, they just don’t know what to do. He warns that in all likelihood, the demand for assistance will jump at least 20% as Pessach approaches.
“I am sorry but it appears the amount of food being distributed will be drastically cut, and we will not be able to meet the demand of all the organizations around the country. The packages will be smaller and in some cases, people will just not receive anything. We simply don’t have the means,” added Weintraub.
Jerusalem’s Dudi Zilbershlag mimics Weintraub’s remarks, explaining his organizations, Meir Panim and Koach L’Tet distribute assistance to 5,500 poor a week, and this year, the Pesach distribution may have to be limited to the most dire of cases, adding that signing up new people for assistance is simply out of the question.
Daphne Maor of the Pitchon Lev organization explains that the many requests to Israel’s large food companies have not yielded results, explaining her Carmiel-based organization distributes 1,700 food baskets monthly.
“At times, we call on workers to all donate a shekel towards buying food, but we realize this is not the answer,” she explains. “We managed to receive a bottle of oil from every worker, which we already set aside for Pesach” she concludes.
For Yaakov Maimon, of the Ohel Shlomo Yeshiva, his involvement began about 8 years ago in Beersheva. He began distributing weekly aid packages to families in the area of the yeshiva. “Last year, everything changed. Donations were down sharply and today, instead of assisting 300 families weekly, we are only able to accommodate 140.”
Maimon adds that of late, even the packages to those families have been cut down in size to cut costs.
“The situation is simply untenable. While the wealthy are experiencing a difficult time, those with nothing are left with an inability to survive,” states Maimon.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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13 Responses
hashem yishmor! but you can be sure its a worthwhile investment to help these organization get back on their feet so they can help the needy! please fellow yidden let us try to do the best we can to at least prevent these amazing tzedakah organizations from collapsing!
I wonder if the hotels in america will be way down this year. Very curious to watch.
Perhaps 25,000 non-profits are bit too many. Has anyone suggested that they combine to reduce overhead?
Or is more than 25,000 non-profits in Eretz Yisrael? It seems from the lashon in the article that 25,000 are the number BG University studied.
I keep writing 25,000 because that number is mind boggling.
What are these people thinking? 25,000 non-profits? That is 1 non profit for every 200 jews in Eretz Yisroel. Not Families. People. Not just frum Yiden but ALL Yiden.
25,000? This is insane.
Maybe all the Hotels and Pesach resorts can forward the estimated leftover food they usually have to help out the yidden who will desperately need it before pesach.
The entire world is tightening their belts. That is what a depression is about. There isn’t any reason to believe that we, regardless of place, will not be affected.
to kiruvwife:
i totally agree with your idea, but just think about it realistically, these hotels are most probably not doing so well at this present time and even if they were, you think they would send their estimated leftovers to these tzedakah organizations? if they do i would give them much kudos but i dont thind that the hotels are going to be having much leftovers this pesach!
Firstly, Yad Ezra V’Shulamit does not operate only in Carmiel; they have branches all over Israel. If you ever walked through Beit Yisrael on a Thursday, you’d see the entire Shimon Rokach lined up with food baskets that they give out. There’s no way that they can meet the need to help people with the basic for Pesach without massive help which has not been forthcoming.
Secondly, whoever finds 25,000 non-profits mind-boggling, don’t forget that this number is not organizations for the sick and poor. It includes all educational institutions, youth groups, hospitals, “green” groups, animal rights groups, pro-Palestinian activists and other “social” causes, etc. A small percentage of that number is for relief services. And, in addition to Torah, those are the ones this article focused on. These organizations truly deserve the support they ask for.
#3 – you should note that the registrar of non-profits includes all kinds of non-profits, schools, orchestras, etc not just tzedaka organiztions.
And even if the number could use trimming, the aniyim need our help NOW!
May Hashem grant the wherewithal to help His children!
#4 There is no left over food. They are ordering less this year. Lets not forget that business people are hurting as well.
25000 is NOT such a high number if one considers that many are not “tzedaka” per se, but include organizations such as schools (including some that have no Israeli students), medical groups, cultural groups, youth groups, etc. The whole “voluntary” sector is in big trouble, not just frum, not just Jewish or Israeli, but everywhere.
P.S. Anyone going to a hotel for Pesach should be embarassed. This is not a time for showing off luxuries.
#10
I think your PS is chutzpa. While I will not be at a hotel and never have… there are people who NEED to get away for pesach and do not have other options.
Why dont you make decisions for you and your family and let other people make decisions about theirs.
Like we tell the liberals, “if you want to give out candies, that is fine, just dont take away my candies without asking me if I want to give”.
Zay nisht ehrlich af yenems cheshbon.
To all those folks who think that 25,000 organizations is not too much.
Let’s see, that is one organization per 200 Yiden. Each organization has overhead of at least 10-20% of the monies collected.
If we could consolidate, that might save about half.
One organization is 40M NIS or about 9M USD. Since they are the largest, let’s say 100M USD is what is required to fund the organizations. Consolidating management and other structures might save 5-10M USD.
Conservatively.
Let’s see if everyone can set their agendas and egos aside for the greater good.
Personally, I won’t give money to small institutions unless they are addressing a niche need. Food distribution can be addressed anywhere.
there should be an outcry of all rabbonim that anyone going to hotels this pesach should at the very least sponsor substantially some organization that feeds the poor so that while they are enjoying a lavish pesach their brothers are not thinking of how to put the very basic necessaties on their seder table….. and think of all the children who may be going hungry while we here are spending an incredible amount of money in hotels here and in eretz yisroel…. hashem y’rachem….