Members of the Chasdei Naomi organization, which provides food to the needy, decided to protest the recent gas price hikes by replacing the cars normally used for their weekly meal distribution with horse-drawn carriages this past Tuesday.
Volunteers loaded the food unto five carriages and delivered them to families living in the central Israeli Gush Dan region – at minimal cost and without the need to stop to refuel.
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The Charedi organization explained that this was as much a demonstration of protest as it was a way to cut operational costs.
On Wednesday the price of 95 octane gasoline reached a record high NIS 7.26 ($1.97) per liter. The previous record – NIS 7.14 ($1.94) per liter – was set in January. It makes for a 1.68% increase, which is being blamed on the rise in crude oil prices and currency exchange rates.
A modest nationwide movement opposing the government’s decision to hike gas prices originated on Facebook in recent weeks; In January, a couple of protest convoys of cars made their way to the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem, blocking traffic and drawing the attention of a few politicians and organizations. The movement announced Tuesdays as fuel-free days.
“Last year the public didn’t try to fight the hike, and now gas prices have reached new heights,” Chasdei Naomi Director Moshe Cohen said. “Many car owners cannot bear it. The gas expense is especially high for the organization, which transports thousands of food packages to families around the country every day.”
(Source: Ynet)
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6 Responses
Mi k’amcha Yisrael!?!?!
We always read and hear so much negative news, but who else has SO MANY gemachs (for every imaginable purpose), does SO MUCH chesed for others?
NO ONE! – Goy ECHAD ba’aretz!
Cute, except now the whole world knows who is getting packages. Not exactly a discreet method of delivering what I would have assumed to be Matan Besayser.
cccr…
While I hear what you are saying, my guess would be that in the neighborhoods they go to, probably everyone, or at least many people on the street get these packages, so there is no boosha associated with receiving them.
Also, in Eretz Yisrael in general, people tend not to care so much about the income of others, or connect it to their worth as a person. There (in general) unlike here (in general) if you were to ask someone what he earns, he’ll just tell you and wont think anything of it. Here, most people wouldn’t ask, because they’d be told it’s none of your business.
In Eretz Yisrael people tend to be more cognizant of the fact that whatever their income level, high or low, it is from HKB”H, and is nothing to have gaiyva about, NOR, to be ashamed of.
If they have affordable access to a horse (and its stable, food, etc.), it might easily be cost efficient to prefer a horse to an automotive vehicle. Given that Israel can grow hay more easily than pumping oil, this seems to be a good idea.
And they also save money by doing without auto insurance. A clever move on their part. They don’t spend all day only learning, but instead go out to do mitzvos.
#2, bear in mind that in Israel, very few people live in private homes and certainly not those receiving food from Chasdei Naomi. When stopping in front of an apartment building, it is not clear to the person on the street who’s getting the package.