British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould and wife Celia, together with Minister of Welfare & Social Services Moshe Kahlon on Tuesday, 21 Shevat 5722, will officially open the first of several social clubs for Holocaust survivors established through donations from the Jewish community in Britain.

Ambassador Gould explained: “When we came to Israel, Celia and I were determined to do something to help survivors here. We quickly found that the biggest problem they face here is loneliness, and that’s why I appealed to Britain’s Jewish community for help setting up a network of social clubs. Thanks to the community’s generosity, we’ve now raised almost half our target of £2 million. And thanks to the hard work of our Israeli partners, including the Foundation and the Ministry of Social Welfare, these clubs are getting off the ground. It meant a great deal to us to see the first club in action in Givat Olga. The joy and comfort it brought to the survivors who were there was obvious. We are now looking forward to seeing the others in action too.”

Six centers will be established initially through the Social Welfare & Social Services Ministry and the Foundation for the Benefit of the Holocaust Victims in Israel. The funds raised by Ambassador Gould’s campaign will also be used for transportation to ensure that survivors who are otherwise housebound, have the opportunity to come to the centers. Loneliness is a major issue for many of these elderly survivors.  Centers will be established in Givat Olga, the Eshkol Regional Council, Kiryat Bialik, Migdal HaEmek and two centers in Bnei Brak, serving a total of some 700 Holocaust survivors.

Minister Moshe Kahlon said: “Israeli society must do all it can to enable our heroes who survived Nazi oppression to grow old with dignity. We are committed to doing our duty towards Holocaust survivors who helped build our country. These centers, which the Ministry supports and welcomes, help meet these important goals and I believe that their number will only increase.”

Elazar Stern, Chairman of the Foundation for the Benefit of the Holocaust Victims in Israel, said “Loneliness is one of the biggest problems faced by Holocaust survivors in Israel in 2012, in addition to the material needs of resources and funds. These are elderly people many of whom do not have any family and loneliness is a dominant issue that greatly affects many of them. These clubs offer a real anchor in the lives of many of the survivors, as for many of them, this is the only opportunity they have to get out of the house and meet people. This is an incredibly important initiative.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)