REMEMBER

David's Story

After fighting for his life under Nazi Germany, and watching the man who protected and sheltered him and his family literally flayed in the street, it is no surprise that David scarcely speaks about his Holocaust experience. After the war he immigrated to Israel, and two years ago, discovered he had stomach cancer, and had ¾ of his stomach surgically removed. Today his kidneys have failed and for the last two years, he has been on dialysis three times a week. He is transported by ambulance, as he cannot so much as climb three flights of stairs on his own. He doesn’t even have a winter coat, and wears a woman’s coat that was given to him last year. Needless to say, David has experienced tragedy beyond imagination, and lives today in conditions of extreme poverty. David is one of thousands of reminders that Holocaust survivors must continue their struggle for basic survival in modern day Israel.

Today is Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Memorial Day, a time in which we commemorate the more than 6 million Jews murdered under the Nazi regime. It is a time to remember the victims themselves and reflect on the sacrifices of those who lost their lives trying to protect Jews. In addition to a day of sober reflection, we must seize this opportunity to remember David and those like him. As part of our remembrance for the unspeakable tragedy of the Holocaust, we should consider that for tens of thousands of Israeli Holocaust survivors, their struggle for survival is now a fight against the grips of extreme poverty, old age and lack of government assistance.

Current Situation of Holocaust Survivors in Israel

As of 2010, about one third of the entire survivor population lives under the poverty line, less than 3% is under the age of 70, and about half the population is over 80 years old. In 2009, only ¼ of the roughly 230,000 Holocaust survivors were eligible for government services in Israel. A large portion of these survivors come from the former Soviet Union; where they receive no assistance from either their countries of origin or Israel. According to 2010 studies, this demographic is one of the most at-risk groups within the survivor community, suffering from acute health problems.

JIJ Jacket Project

In response to this frightening reality, JIJ has initiated an ongoing project in which we distribute high quality blankets or fleece jackets to as many survivors as possible. In the winter of 2009-2010, we handed out water resistant fleece coats to about 2,500 elderly Holocaust survivors, many of whom don’t have the money to afford heating for their homes. The overwhelmingly positive response to our work is testament to the desperate needs of this community. Many people confessed that we had provided them with their only jacket for the winter, and that this kind of aid has never been given in the past.

David and his wife, Asia, were beneficiaries of our winter project. Asia cried when David received his fleece coat from JIJ. She said they were never honored, ever, in Russia. She is amazed at the kindness of our Judeo-Christian partners. Please take this day to remember, not only those who perished in the Holocaust, but also those victims who continue the struggle for basic survival today. Their number is dwindling each year, and it is truly a tragedy that so many of them depart this earth neglected and forgotten as so many in the Holocaust did.

 

Holocaust survivors must continue their struggle for basic survival in modern day Israel

Their struggle for survival is now a fight against the grips of extreme poverty, old age and lack of government assistance