Yad Ezra V'Shulamit

Yad Ezra V'Shulamit is a Jewish charity organization located in Israel.[1] Their mission is to feed poor and hungry families in Israel, with a special focus on providing daily hot meals for children. They distribute 2,500 food baskets a week to poor Israeli families, provide daily meals to children, run annual clothing and school supply drives, and operate a job desk to help unemployed parents find work.[2] The motto of the organization is "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, One Child at a Time".[3]

History

Yad Ezra V'Shulamit was founded by Aryeh Lurie,[1] a native Israeli who grew up in poverty. He vowed that if he could overcome the challenges of poverty as an adult, he would make it his mission to help others do the same. He founded Yad Ezra V'Shulamit, named after his parents, in 1988.[4]

Projects

Food baskets

Yad Ezra V'Shulamit distributes 2,500 food baskets a week to families in Israel. Food baskets contain basic necessities, such as bread, canned goods, and chicken for Shabbat. Special food baskets are given out to many more families for specific holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah and Passover.

Children's Centers

Hundreds of children in different parts of the country attend Yad Ezra V'Shulamit's Children's Centers, where they receive a hot meal daily. Many children that come to the center are from families in which one or both parents are sick and unable to work, or they are orphans. In addition to the meal, they receive tutoring and attention from trained professionals, counselors, tutors, and volunteers.

Clothing distribution

Yad Ezra V’Shulamit organizes winter campaigns to provide coats and blankets for children whose parents can't afford them. They also buy other winter gear such as boots, scarves, and gloves, and distribute them to needy children.[5] Yad Ezra V'Shulamit also runs school-supply campaigns to provide children with basic necessities such as backpacks, pencils and notebooks.

Job desk

Many of the parents who receive food baskets are from a lower-class background, and have not received even a high school education.[6] Thus, the jobs that are available to them are very limited. Yad Ezra V'Shulamit helps these people with their resumes and prepares them for job interviews.

Criticism

Yad Ezra V'Shulamit has been criticized as giving assistance to underprivileged children for secondary religious reasons over and above charitable reasons.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Yad Ezra V'Shulamit feeds hungry residents of southern Israel". Haaretz. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Yad Ezra V'Shulamit - Breaking the Cycle of Poverty one Child at a Time..." yadezra.net. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  3. ↑ Balint, Judy Lash (19 February 2014). "Purim and the poor in Israel". Jewish News Syndicate. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "About the Founder". Yad Ezra V'Shulamit. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  5. ↑ "Clothing Distribution - Yad Ezra V'Shulamit". yad.eyaad.co.il. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  6. ↑ "Emor Project". www.emorproject.org. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  7. ↑ Jeffay, Nathan (14 October 2010). "'Pay for me and I'll pray for you'". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
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