Young Patrons club night raised £1,500

04 February 2012

Despite the big freeze 100 brave people have participated in Meir Panim’s Young Patron’s club night at Unique Club in Golders Green, raising over £1,500 for poor people in Israel.

Coming soon: our Mishloach Manot Cards !

02 February 2012

A New Twist on the Traditional Soup Kitchen

22 January 2012

In a joint venture with the municipality of Safed, Meir Panim will be able to offer increased benefits to its clientele, while significantly cutting costs.

The Safed soup kitchen will operate under new and expanded conditions. The municipality will “hire” 15 elderly people, who will prepare and serve the food, and essentially run the restaurant every day, mornings through lunchtime. Instead of a salary, they will receive a stipend in the form of a monthly food card. The branch manager will be the only paid worker. During the afternoons, the soup kitchen will be used by the municipality as an after-school club, and will serve as a warm refuge for at-risk youngsters, who will be offered support, extra-curricular activities, and a hot meal. The benefits are considerable. Since the site will be operated in conjunction with the municipality, there will be no property taxes, which can run very high. Additionally, there will be a large decrease in salaries and maintenance fees, since the municipality will be supplying the necessary manpower. Of course the biggest benefits are to the many people who are served by Meir Panim. The existing restaurant has been fully renovated, thanks to a generous donation from Strauss-Elite.

UK’s Chief Rabbi becomes our patron

31 December 2011

UK’s Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks has agreed to become a patron of the UK Branch of Meir Panim. Lord Sacks has been the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since 1991.

Celebrating Chanukah together

18 December 2011

 

Students from Naima JPS school in London celebrated Chanukah via Skype with underprivileged students from Meir Panim After School Club in Or Akivah.
The students sang Chanukah songs, lit the candles and danced together. One of Naima's students, who volunteered in the summer at one of Meir Panim's soup kitchens in Israel, shared his experience with his class mates.

Ilanit, the Club coordinator, says:" The children felt so special to be part of such an initiative. They were very touched that their English friends were dressed formally for the occasion and were all expressing their hopes for a closer relationship. In short, they left the event in very high spirits."

 

Encouraging news from Israel

12 December 2011

Despite the tough economic climate, this year Meir Panim was very pleased to see an increase of donations from the Israeli public – with 36% of our donations coming from within Israel. In addition to money, the Israeli public is also helping with goods and time, and Israelis are active in the campaigns we do before Pesach, Rosh Hashanah and Chanukah.

Festival of Lights and Gifts

01 December 2011

For years now, kids all over Israel attend the large 'Motek shel Festival’, a big festival extravaganza held for kids at various locations, featuring shows and musicals by Israel's favorite children's entertainers.

This year, the young participants and their parents are invited to bring along used toys for "the children of Meir Panim", making sure that those whose "Festival of Light" is not always full of light, be filled with joy as well.

At Meir Panim, we are eagerly anticipating thousands of toys, which we will happily distribute to the children who need it most.

 

Study: 10% of Israelis are food-insecure

29 November 2011

National Insurance Institute survey reveals one-third of Israelis have given up on consumption of food in past year in order to purchase other products. 'Israel has the highest level of poverty in the Western world,' says researcher.

Some 10% of Israelis suffered from food insecurity in the past year, according to an extensive survey conducted by the National Insurance Institute among 5,000 families constituting a representative sample of the population. Two out of 100 Israelis suffer from serious hunger.

These troubling figures, which will be presented Tuesday at a panel of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews during the Israel-Sderot Conference on Social Issues, match data presented in the 2010 Poverty Report.

About one-third of the population was forced to give up on the consumption of food in recent months in order to purchase other products and commodities.

In addition, about 23% of respondents had relatives or friends help them get food during at least one month this year.

As for the quality and amount of food in each household, 28% admit that they don't always have the type of food they want. Nine percent say that sometimes the quantity isn't enough, while 4% stress that it's often not enough.

'There are hungry people in Israel'

Researchers Alexander Fruman, Miri Endelberd and deputy director-general of the Research and Planning Administration of the National Insurance Institute, Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, rule that favored solution for poor people suffering from food insecurity is to encourage employment under fair conditions. However, not everyone can work - the elderly, disabled or sick, or those who stay at home to care for them.

The researchers suggest providing financial aid to these people, as well as to those who earn a salary which does not match their families' needs (large families) through a living allowance: Income support, child support, or easing the conditions for disability pension.

The researchers note that living allowances have been cut since 2000, claiming that the government chooses to focus on aiding food organizations, while contributing – against its will – to the increased demand.

"There is no need to distribute so much food, as long as the pensions are restored to a more reasonable level than in recent years."

According to Gottlieb, "Food insecurity is defined as the inability to eat what you want when you want. The main conclusion is that the problem of food insecurity is real."

He added that Israel has the highest level of inequality and poverty in the Western world. "We have a backyard of people who are unable to meet minimal living expenses. It's a fact that there are hungry people in Israel and we can't deny it," he said.

  

Israel poverty levels fell slightly in 2010

17 November 2011

Israel poverty levels fell slightly in 2010, and is now at the lowest level since 2003, according to the annual poverty report published by the National Insurance Institute on Thursday 17.11.11.

According to the report, 19.8% of Israeli families suffered from poverty in 2010, compared to 20.5% in 2009.

The number of children living below the poverty line fell from 36.3% in 2009 to 35.3%, and the overall percentage of Israeli citizens living in poverty also fell – from 25% in 2009, to 24.45.

There were total of 433,300 poor families in 2010, comprised of 1,733,400 people. Of these, 837,300 were children.

These new figures bring Israel back to same levels they were at between 2007 and 2009. The main reason for the change, according to the report, is an expansion of employment data. Despite the drop in the number of Israelis living in poverty, however, the measures that estimate the severity and depth of poverty have not seen significant change, even rising a little from 35.5% to 35.9%.

The slight drop in poverty levels was evident across the majority of social sectors, including the elderly, single-parent families and large families. Despite this, the percentage of working families in poverty rose from 49% in 2009, to 50.6% in 2010.

Following the publication of the report, Welfare and Social Services Minister Moshe Kahlon said “despite the drop in poverty levels in 2010, the differences in poverty from year to year do not manage to change the sad situation in recent years. One fifth of families and around one third of children in Israel are poor, therefore I turn to the government to intervene in a more meaningful and widespread manner in order to fight and reduce poverty.”

National Insurance Institute director general Esther Dominissini on the other hand, said that “although there was a drop in poverty levels in most communities in 2010, and this is really good news, poverty levels in Israel are still high and they are in double figures. Inequality is too high, both in absolute terms in in comparison with the OECD.”

Mitzvah Day 2011

08 November 2011

This year, Meir Panim UK will be working with the local charity GIFT over Mitzvah Day shopping. We are looking for people to stand outside Golders Green Tesco on Sunday 20.11 between the following times:
10.30 – 12 12-1.30 1.30 – 3
We require 2 – 3 people each slot. The food that will be collected will go to GIFT and local homeless shelters.

For more information please contact Gaby at: info@meirpanimuk.org

Meir Panim Uk's Rosh Hashana Campaign has raised £23,000 so far

17 October 2011

Meir Panim Uk's Rosh Hashana 2011 Campaign has raised £23,000 so far, which means we are able to feed over 6,388 poor Israeli children for a day. 

THANK YOU !

 

 

 

Starting the New Year Off Right

06 October 2011

 

 

Thousands of Israelis in need were able to celebrate the Rosh Hashana holiday with food and with dignity, thanks to the mass distribution of pre-paid holiday food shopping cards.

Each card is worth £36, and can be used to purchase holiday items such as challah, chicken and vegetables, as well as basic household items.

In the weeks leading up to Rosh Hashana, Meir Panim launched a major campaign to encourage the Israeli public to donate funds for the holiday food cards, which were distributed to 50 different municipalities and welfare departments of the Absorption Ministry.

Meir Panim was privileged to cooperate with over 20 leading companies from all sectors, including media, supermarket chains, and many more.

In order to ensure that the message reached as many eyes and ears as possible, Meir Panim launched a campaign that made use of television, radio, newspapers and social media.

Through the tremendous efforts of Meir Panim staff and volunteers, and thanks to the dedication and generosity of our donors, over 5,000 food cards were distributed to Israel’s neediest families, children, soldiers and Holocaust survivors.

In addition, over 1,000 packages, containing fresh produce, eggs, fish, meat and wine, were distributed to the less fortunate, bringing joy and hope to the new year.

And in the soup kitchens across the country, over 500 diners enjoyed holiday meals, served with a smile by Meir Panim volunteers.

Many thanks to all those who contributed to the Rosh Hashanah campaign!

 

 

10k Soup Walk event raised £7,000

19 September 2011

A sell-out group of  55 people took part in Meir Panim’s annual Soup Walk event in the East End, raising £7,000 for people in need in Israel. The participants in the event, which was sponsored by the JC, completed the 10km walk at the Bevis Marks Synagogue where each one received a cup of warm soup prepared by chef Denise Phillips.

Pinner community raised £3,500

13 September 2011

Pinner JFC 25th anniversary at Pinner Shul saw 130 participants who raised over £3,500 net for Meir Panim. The event which was organized by Stan Conway and sponsored by the JC included a James Lakeland fashion show, a talk by the former Israeli footballer Ronni Rosenthal, a performance by the Moriah School Choir and an auction.  

A very special visitor at Meir Panim

04 September 2011

The diners at Meir Panim's branch in Netanya were in for a wonderful surprise on a hot summer day in August.

None other than beloved actor  Chaim Topol, arrived to the restaurant.

With his trademark smile and warm demeanor, he toured the facility and got acquainted with the work of Meir Panim.

Mr. Topol, who is known to all for his long-standing acting career, is an active philanthropist on his own merit.

"I was so impressed with your dedication and sensitivity displayed in this place", thus Mr. Topol.

We, at Meir Panim, are looking forward to a long-lasting relationship with this very special person.

 

Free Summer Camps for Children in Need

24 July 2011

For the ninth year in a row, Meir Panim is running free summer programmes for thousands of at-risk children in nine locations across Israel.

Most of the children are already enrolled in Meir Panim’s after-school clubs. Many of their families cannot afford to send their children to summer camp. Meir Panim’s summer programmes offer fun and educational activities for children in a relaxed and supportive setting.

If it were not for the Meir Panim summer camps, many of these kids would be home alone, or wandering the streets in the long holidays. At the camps they receive two nutritious meals a day, as well as love and attention.

In addition to activities such as swimming, arts & crafts and sports, the programmes offer special workshops in areas such as music, wilderness survival and archaeology.

The programmes run throughout the month of July from 8:00 am through to 5:00 pm daily

 

Cooking for people in need

11 July 2011

25 ladies took part in a cookery demonstration by the chef Denise Phillips in Hampstead Garden Suburb which raised £1,000 for the Israeli charity Meir Panim. The participants learnt how to cook a Friday night 3 course meal and how to bake a challah.

The event followed a recent visit by Denise Phillips to Meir Panim’s soup kitchen in Jerusalem where she cooked a meal for the diners.

Meir Panim aids those affected by Netanya blast

21 June 2011

Early Friday morning, June 17, a strong explosion rocked a Netanya building, destroying dozens of apartments, and unfortunately, claiming four lives. Officials believe that the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

At noon on Friday, Meir Panim received a call from the office of the Director of the Absorption Ministry, asking for assistance. More than 100 individuals living in the vicinity of the affected buildings were left without electricity, running water and phone service. These people, many of them elderly immigrants, were in need of immediate assistance; especially given that Shabbat was drawing near. Meir Panim mobilized its restaurant, located at the centre of the city. With the help of many dedicated volunteers, it managed to prepare over 80 Shabbat meals and serve as a central drop-off location for people wishing to donate food and other essential items. We are happy to have provided a little light on this dark day in Netanya.

Memorable Experience at the Jerusalem Soup Kitchen

05 June 2011

Denise Phillips, professional chef and well known cookery writer recently (5.6.11)  visited the Meir Panim Soup Kitchen in Jerusalem. Keen to see for herself the valuable work of the charity and to assist them with new food ideas, Denise spent a whole morning at the restaurant, preparing a scrumptious dish for lunch.
The smell of roasted vegetables, brown sugar and cinnamon filled the air and her original dish blended perfectly with the couscous, prepared by the regular staff to create a meal that delighted the large number of diners.

"I had a fascinating morning with some amazing people from all over the world who have had to cope with some serious issues and problems" said Denise "the soup kitchen provides them and their families with a hot and nutritious meal, often their only one of the day. Being able to use my cooking skills for such a good cause was a great experience unlike anything I have ever done before. I am hooked and will definitely be back on my next trip to Israel ? and they always need more volunteers!"

Shoes for Jews Campaign

31 May 2011

Project Chesed is proud to have joined forces with Meir Panim and B’Yachad in their fight against the adverse effects of poverty. With the launch of the ‘Shoes for Jews’ campaign, Project Chesed is aiming to provide as many people as they can with a good quality pairs of shoes which will enable them to go about their everyday lives. It may not sound like much but without shoes, simple tasks such as travelling to school or going to work can be severely hindered.

The benefits of this project will undoubtedly make a huge difference, especially during winter in places such as Jerusalem, where children are forced to miss school and stay at home simply due to lacking a good quality pair of winter boots or shoes.

So how does the Shoes for Jews campaign work?

We are asking anyone who travel to Israel to take with him a good quality pair of shoes or an item of clothing that can then be passed on to someone living in poverty in Israel. There are over 30 branches of Meir Panim across Israel in desperate need of donations. Click here for more information as to where these centres are. Or contact Goldie Sternbuch from Meir Panim when you get to Israel on Tel: +972-2-5011419, mobile: +972-52-6076050 or email goldies@meirpanim.org and she will help to make sure your shoes or clothes get to where they are needed most.

Gaby Blauer of Meir Panim UK said;

“I have seen with my own eyes kids and young adults whose parents' couldn’t even afford trainers and the kids went to school with sandals even during winter time. In one of the schools I visited in Kiryat Malachi I saw young students who played basketball barefoot... Unfortunately for poor families trainers are a luxury item.

"It’s important to emphasise that although we picked up a catchy name for the initiative: Shoes for Jews, that our soup kitchens, after school clubs, vocational training courses and other programmes are open for people in need from all different sectors of the Israeli society.”

Candice Woolfson, Director of US Chesed said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Meir Panim and B’Yachad to make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged communities in Israel. Many of us have pairs of shoes and boots that we rarely wear, or items of clothing that rarely come out of the cupboard. Our aim is to get every person flying to Israel to take at least one pair of shoes or other item of clothing that can be passed on to someone who really needs it. On arrival or during the trip you just need to contact Meir Panim to ensure donations reach their destination. Please help us to make a difference."

A British donor has donated £51,450 for a Refrigerated Van

04 May 2011

A well known British donor (who has asked to stay unnamed), has kindly donated £51,450 for a refrigerated van. This van will distribute meals to children and people in need in Southern Israel.

The van will be purchased within the upcoming months and will immediately begin to serve the needy during July/August.

Meir Panim is currently using a similar van in Jerusalem, whereby every day the van visits hotels, restaurants and banquet halls in Jerusalem and collects unused cooked meals and prepared food that is then delivered to the 500 diners at Meir Panim's soup kitchen in Jerusalem and to people in need.

 

Pesach 2011: Meir Panim is assisting more than 31,000 people in need

13 April 2011

Thanks to the massive response from our friends in Israel and abroad, we will be able to help tens of thousands of people in need this Pesach:
We are distributing:
10,000 Food Shopping Cards, which will affect more than 30,000 people. In addition, Meir Panim has handed out Cards to lonely soldiers in the North.
150 packages containing fresh produce, a tray of eggs, fresh fish, meat and drinks, in addition to the usual items, worth +/- 500 NIS
800 packages of fresh produce, donated by farmers of the Arava region.

Seder Night:
Will be held in five locations for over 500 participants. In some places, where holding a Seder will not be possible, a meal will be held the day before and prepared Seder Meals will be distributed.

Our first Gala Dinner attracted 320 people

18 March 2011

Dressed to thrill at Meir Panim

09 March 2011

Purchase a Mishloach Manot Card:SOLD OUT

17 February 2011

Sir Erich Reich, Chairman of Meir Panim UK, visits Meir Panim facilities

14 February 2011

 

On his visit to Israel, Sir Erich Reich, Meir Panim UK Chairman, made it his priority to take a day off his schedule to see the work of Meir Panim.

He was not disappointed.

Our day started in Kiryat Malachi, at the Netsach Yisrael School. Under the encouraging gaze of their Principal, Mrs. Ayala Hagage, the sixth-graders prepared a welcoming ceremony, which included beautiful dances by the girls and a 'Capoiera" dance by the boys.

Ayala was able to point out during the presentation how each specific child had come so far, as was evident in their performances, delivered with much grace and self-confidence.

Sir Erich was particularly moved, and said:" I was little a child in the Kindertransport, left orphaned and alone, and having gone through this difficult experience, I know how important it is to fight for yourself in life.", a message may of these children can relate to.

At the closing of the ceremony, the children presented Sir Erich with a beautiful booklet, filled with personal wishes, and a beautiful mosaic, prepared during their art classes.

Ayala then gave us a tour of the school's impressive enrichment rooms, such as a "Children's Museum", which exhibits the children's and parents' artwork  and a "Good Deeds Store", where children can trade their hard-earned "vouchers" for gifts.

 

The next stop was the construction site of the Israel Nutrition Centre.  Sir Erich had many questions, which were answered by the Project Director, Mr. Shmulik Tzarom. Sir Erich admitted being quite unsure of how this gigantic project would actually come to be and manage to sustain itself. But at the end of the visit, he assured us that his doubts were removed, and expressed his admiration of the genius behind this revolutionary enterprise.

 

Our journey ended at the local Soup Kitchen, where we were welcomed by the manager, Mr. Noach Friedman, a volunteer. We were able to enjoy a hot meal, along with the diners.

To us, it was an honour to host Sir Erich, to him - we are convinced -, an eye-opening experience.

Fact Sheets: Meir Panim in Israel 2010

03 February 2011

1,774,800 people living below the poverty line (One out of four people) 

850,300 children living below the poverty line (Two out of five children)

• Hot Meals:  892,680 meals were distributed in 14 cities via restaurants and deliveries to homes
• Children's Meals: 859,760 meals in 16 cities
• Food  Shopping Cards: distribution of 5,000  in 50 cities
• After-School Clubs: attended by 700 children in  eight clubs in six cities
• Power of Giving warehouses: 24,000 families have been helped in eight cities
• Vocational Training: 60 at-risk youth in "Youth Aiding the Elderly" programmes in three locations in Northern Israel: 90 unemployed women in "Back to Work" programmes in Haifa, Jerusalem and Yokne'am

·         The Israel Nutrition Center: Will provide 50,000 meals per day: Expected completion Summer 2011

 

·         Annual Budget: £8,500,000

Meir Panim's Football Frenzy event

24 January 2011

200 people attended Meir Panim's Football Frenzy event at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday which raised over £3000. The event included stadium tours and a Match Attax swapathon during the day and evening discussion entitled 'Football - Just the Job for a Nice Jewish Boy?' with guest panel David Pleat, Simon Corney, Barry Silkman, Dean Furman, Ivor Baddiel and chaired by the JC's Danny Caro. The event's proceeds will go to help provide sports facilities for underprivileged children in the south of Israel.

Helping the fire fighters in Northern Israel

05 December 2010

Doughnuts with a message

01 December 2010

 

In honor of Chanukah, Meir Panim is launching, in cooperation with friends from the business community in Israel,  a heartwarming project.

The public is invited to submit a personal, heartfelt message to the needy. For each message received, Meir Panim will receive a donation of a Sufganya (Doughnuts),  which will then be attached to a message and distributed  in our local branches on the seventh night of Chanukah. 

For more information please visit:

New Poverty Report in Israel: The number of poor families rose from 19.9% in 2008 to 25% last year.

08 November 2010

Some 123,500 people joined the circle of poverty in Israel in 2009, according to the National Insurance Institute's Poverty and Social Gaps released Monday.

A total of 850,300 children live under the poverty line, the report said, and almost two in five children are disadvantaged.

The number of poor families rose from 19.9% in 2008 to 25% last year. The number of poor residents went up from 23.7% to 25%. The number of poor children rose from 34% in 2008 to 36.35% in 2009.

 A geographical segmentation reveals that the number of poor residents rose to 32.3% in the northern district, and remained unchanged at 23.6% in the southern district. In the Jerusalem district, the number of poor Jewish residents dropped to 22.7%, while the number of poor Arab residents in east Jerusalem jumped to 72%. In Tel Aviv and central Israel, only 13% of residents are poor.

How is Meir Panim Fighting The Battle Against Poverty in Israel?

• More than 2,000 hungry people are served a hot nourishing meal daily at one of Meir Panim’s 14 free restaurant locations throughout Israel
• 5,000 hot lunches are served daily to hungry school children
• 1,700 Meals-On-Wheels are delivered daily to the elderly and handicapped
• Thousands of food packages and food shopping cards are delivered annually to the homebound and elderly, including Holocaust survivors and new immigrants
• 5,000 winter kits are distributed annually to disadvantaged Israelis through Power of Giving Warehouses
• 1,200 disadvantaged children attended summer camp last year
• More than 300 children attend after-school youth clubs
• 60 women are enrolled annually in vocational training programmes

30,000 meals will be distributed throughout Israel daily to the needy at the Mortimer Zuckerman and Abigail Zuckerman Israel Nutrition Centre—the largest food production facility in Israel.  To be completed in July 2011.

Students raised £3,500 for children's meals

14 October 2010

Students at King Solomon High School raised £3,500 towards Meir Panim.

The donation will enable Meir Panim to provide hot meals to 833 Israeli children in need.

10KM night walk raised £10k for Holocaust survivors living in poverty in Israel

11 October 2010

60 walkers took part on a Meir Panim Uk’s night time 10KM Soup walk through the historic East End of London raising £10,000 for Holocaust survivors living in poverty in Israel.  On completion each participant received a cup of warm soup at the Sandy Row Synagogue much as it was served to the new immigrants arriving at the turn of the last century.

Meir Panim UK’s chairman Sir Erich Reich who came to Britain on the ‘Kindertransport’ aged 4 stood near his own statue at the Kindertransport monument at Liverpool street station and said: “Soup kitchens were common in the East End of London and run by charitable organisations and it seems that nothing has changed. Today in Israel 2010 Meir Panim runs a network of 14 soup kitchens. The funds we raised on the walk will go to those underprivileged  Israeli citizens including Holocaust survivors".

The event was sponsored by: The JC (media sponsor), Aerospares, SecurTeam, Jo & Al who prepared the soup, The Jewish Princess, and Joseph Sterling and was organised by Classics Tours.

 

Our Rosh Hashana Campaign has raised £16,000

27 September 2010

Meir Panim Uk's Rosh Hashana Campaign has raised so far £16,000, which means we are able to feed 3,809 poor Israeli children for a day. THANK YOU !

Abseiling for Meir Panim

06 September 2010

A group of young professionals abseil down Earls Court on Sunday, raising more than £2,000 for the Israeli charity Meir Panim. The participants on the challenge abseil 20 metres / 66 feet to the bottom.  One of the participants Sophie Silver said: “I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially being able to abseil upside down - that added an extra dimension to the challenge!!  Plus, you get fantastic views from up on the roof!  I'm really pleased to have been able to raise so much money for Meir Panim, I can't believe how generous everyone has been”. The event’s proceeds will go to assist Israeli families in need.

Thousands Of Food Shopping Cards for Rosh Hashanah

01 September 2010

Meir Panim will distribute thousands of holiday food shopping cards, resembling credit cards to hungry and impoverished Israelis living all over Israel this upcoming Rosh Hashanah. Disadvantaged families, Holocaust survivors and elderly living below the poverty line in 35 different cities will be given food shopping cards worth 250 NIS (£36) to purchase groceries (excluding tobacco, cigarettes and alcohol) at major food chain stores in Israel for the upcoming New Year. This project will provide food for needy individuals on a new level by allowing them to feel a sense of autonomy and preserve their self-respect.

The food shopping cards are designed to help people who work but still cannot make ends meet, as well as those who are temporarily out of work and actively seeking employment.  

The latest poverty report by the Israel National Insurance Institute revealed that 1,651,300 million people in Israel live below the poverty line; among them are 783,600 innocent children! Meir Panim is on the front lines of the daily battle against poverty and hunger in Israel.  It is the largest conduit of its kind – doing more where it’s needed most!

Local welfare and absorption offices distribute the cards to needy families and individuals in specific cities. The cards also grant families facing considerable hardship a degree of dignity and equality, and help them avoid being labeled as poor. It is a form of supplemental aid which maintains the self-respect of the recipients.

"Meir Panim's food shopping card programme is the one of the most effective forms of food aid used in Israel today,” said Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations.  “This Rosh Hashanah, Meir Panim's food shopping card programme will help many disadvantaged families experience the joy and sweetness of the New Year.  Meir Panim's services are not just charity; the work it does is about saving lives. May we be blessed to see the day soon when its services are no longer necessary." 

With the cards in hand, even poor individuals can shop at major food chain stores and purchase the foods and home goods that they need in order to support themselves and their families this Rosh Hashanah without feeling the embarrassment of collecting handouts. This method of assistance keeps true to Meir Panim’s careful attention to ensuring the preservation of respect and autonomy for the impoverished of Israel.

To promote the importance of the holiday food shopping cards, Meir Panim also recently launched a new fundraising campaign called “Donate, Eat, Love.” with Israeli newspaper Yediot Achronot. Campaign partners also included Ynet, Radio Tel Aviv, Radio "Emtza Haderech," Burger Ranch, New Pharm, and Kimat Chinam supermarket chain.

The campaign began on August 22nd and will run until 9th September.  The project will continue to collect donations for holiday food shopping cards.  One of the first people to donate to the campaign via SMS was Israel’s Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon.  About the campaign, Minister Moshe Kahlon said, "The issue of food insecurity is extremely important to the State of Israel. The beauty of this specific project is the use of electronic cards, which allows needy families to go to the supermarket just like everyone else and to buy groceries without any injury to their self-respect or their privacy."

 

 

Israeli Combat Soldiers Stay On Base Because There's No Food At Home

 

The Poor Soldiers' War

 

By Goel Beno, Yediot Aharonot 30.8.10

The family suffers from shameful hunger ● The children serving in the army prefer to serve on closed bases rather than go hungry at home ● Right now, a Meir Panim campaign in underway to help the needy celebrate Rosh Hashanah

He serves as a solider in tanks; she is a soldier in the air force. The brother and sister from a family of eight from northern Israel prefer to stay on base rather than go home because of the deep distress the family suffers from.

Their poverty screams out to the heavens. The refrigerator is empty, the windows are broken, the table is rickety. The parents don't work. The father used to work for a moving company, but the company stopped paying salaries because of its debts. He quit when he saw that he was working for no pay. They owe 34,000 NIS to "Amigur" for their apartment, 9,000 NIS to the municipality, and so on and so forth.

"We don’t even have bread in the house for my children, 7 and 9 years old, that are starting school this week. They don’t even have a pencil, to say nothing of books, shoes or clothes," said the father sadly.

Their electricity gets cut off regularly. Their water has also been shut several times, which causes a serious problem for the family; their 3 year old son suffers from a severe skin disease, is required to bathe several times a day. Without water, his health deteriorates quickly.

As if this wasn't enough, 8 months ago the family lost their 1.5 year old son. Since the tragedy, the mother has been very depressed and is having difficulty recuperating from the blow.

One of their sons works occasionally as a waiter in a wedding hall. With the tips, the family buys bread. There is no money for anything else. "My son in the army tells me: 'Dad, I'm embarrassed to come home when you don’t have what to eat.' His sister in the army only comes home to wash her uniform," says the father. The mother adds: "Yesterday she came home, and went to bed hungry. The army would have let her serve close to home because of her brother's death, but she asked to serve far away. That way she doesn't have to come home every day where she won't have regular meals."

A Meir Panim campaign is underway now to collect money for food shopping cards worth 250 NIS for needy families, which they will use to buy food for the holiday. The cards will be distributed by social workers from the local welfare offices.

 

 

 

 

A Shana Tova card - buy online

29 August 2010

Visiting Israel this summer ? please consider volunteering with us!

12 July 2010

Please contact the UK Branch of Meir Panim today to learn how you can volunteer.

Gabriel Blauer

gaby.blauer@meirpanmuk.org
07985511475

Tom Conti hosts an event for Meir Panim

19 June 2010

A sell out group of more than 70 people enjoyed a Meir Panim event at Tom Conti’s house in Hampstead, raising over £4,000 for Holocaust survivors and children in need in Israel. The event saw the celebrated actress and singer Kara Wilson and pianist Lydia Melleck performing a midsummer cabaret. It was a light-hearted programme of music, wit and wisdom. The participants were served homemade Israeli food and took part in an auction of special items which were all donated to the charity.

Sir Erich Reich - the new UK chairman of Meir Panim

16 June 2010

Meir Panim is Operating Free Summer Camps for Children at-Risk this Summer!

10 June 2010

 

Meir Panim will operate summer camps for thousands of Israeli children at-risk this July. All of the children are considered at-risk by the local welfare authorities, and some of them participate in Meir Panim's after-school clubs year-round.

According to Racheli Ibenboim, Director of Meir Panim, "During the months of July and August, thousands of children enter their summer break, and we encounter dozens of families who simply cannot afford to send their child to summer camp, which can cost anywhere from 500 – 2,500 NIS. Therefore, Meir Panim is providing summer camps, free of charge, for the 8th straight year. The camps offer fun, educational and values-centered activities for the children in a relaxed and supportive setting."

The children will enjoy special workshops in topics such as music, wilderness survival and archeology as well as carnivals, magic days, and much more.

The camps will take place in 8 cities - Jerusalem, Or Akiva, Dimona, Yerucham, Kiryat Gat, Tiberias, Acco and Kiryat Melachi- throughout the month of July, from 8am until 5pm daily.

Registration is completed through the local welfare services.

 

Hoenlein Family Mission to Meir Panim's Israel Nutrition Centre

28 May 2010

Kosher Talent 2

25 May 2010

The final of Kosher Talent 2 took place on Sunday evening at The Pentland Theatre, Artsdepot in North Finchley where a near 300 strong audience came to see 12 talented acts compete for the title and raised more than £3000 for the charity Meir Panim.

Mike Segall, Chairman of the event commented “The standard was so high this year and it was a very close fought competition reflected by the fact that only one point separated the Kosher Talent 2 winners, twins Eli and Dovid Sudwarts, from the runners-up young band The Conversation.”

Gaby Blauer, Chief Executive of Meir Panim UK said “It was an amazing team effort to put on such a great show and I would particularly like to thank Gemma Cailler, Charlotte Peters, Stirling Austin and MC Dan Taylor for their hard work in running the event together with the Young Meir Panim committee”

Watch out for Eli and Dovid who have won a year’s management contract with Platinum Artistes, a day in a professional recording studio courtesy of EQ Studios and an interview on JNET Radio.

Last year’s winner Gemma Gold performed a stunning version of Queen’s “Who Wants To Live Forever” and was supported in the cabaret by Charlotte Peters “Valerie” and Michal Akrabi “Nothing Compares 2 U”

The show ended on a memorable high with an electric guitar version of “Hatikvah” by Israeli musician Niro which brought a standing ovation. 

The event was kindly sponsored by Key Connectors, Storm-IT, Jewish News , Brandcast Media, Platinum Artistes and JNET Radio.

Watch out for the video of the event which will be appearing soon on You Tube and of course for Kosher Talent 3 in 2011!

Stacey Solomon assisted Meir Panim

13 May 2010

X Factor finalist Stacey Solomon made a special visit to her old school: King Solomon High School this week as a guest judge in a student talent show: the KS Factor, that raised £2500 for Meir Panim.

‘Diamond Geezer’ runs NY and London marathons to raise over £12,000 for Meir Panim

27 April 2010

Hatton Garden jeweller, Lewis Malka, completed his second marathon in 6 months when he ran the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday, and in doing so boosted the funds of Meir Panim – an Israeli charity that helps the underprivileged and the elderly, including many children and Holocaust survivors. 

He got round the gruelling 26.2 miles in 5hrs 6mins 28s and has so far raised £4,275 for this marathon (an impressive 119% of his original target). Combined with the £7,850 he raised running the ING New York City Marathon in November, his efforts have raised over £12,000 for Meir Panim.

This sum will go towards funding electronic food cards, topped up with 250 shekels (£36) a month, that Israelis in need can use at supermarkets across Israel. As Lewis explains, “The money raised is enough to feed more than 337 Holocaust survivors for a month. The food cards look like credit or Oyster cards and are a great idea, because instead of queuing up for food charity parcels, they allow people to preserve their self-respect and choose their groceries themselves.”

All marathons are tough and London was no different for Lewis. He says “It stopped raining just before the start, and then just got warmer and warmer. And the smell of barbecues in people’s gardens was off-putting! ... Mile 16 in the Isle of Dogs was difficult. There were hardly any spectators and it was quite windy, so it felt like it was going on for ever.”

However, this was more than made up for by the high points: “From mile 23 onwards I focused on my wife and kids waiting for me at the finish line and I got a second wind. The crowds were awesome and I went hell for leather. Then when I saw my children it was really emotional. They had a handmade sign saying ‘Come on Daddy, you can do it!’.”

Comparing his two recent marathons (his eighth and ninth) Lewis says: “New York was fun but London is the best. The people are friendly and the course is more historic and interesting. But it was great to do both for such a special cause.“

Following his GP’s advice, London was Lewis’ final marathon, so he’d like to remind you this is your last ever chance to sponsor him! Lewis’ Just Giving page is still open and you can donate at:  http://www.justgiving.co.uk/ljmalka

Habonim Dror Uk volunteering at Meir Panim's soup kitchen in Jerusalem

11 April 2010

A group of 22 young Habonim Dror UK's cadets visited Meir Panim's soup kitchen in Jerusalem on Sunday. They learned about Meir Panim's work and then pitched in with a will, preparing and serving food for the day's meal. The participants were very appreciative for the opportunity to help those in need, and expressed their interest in returning to volunteer in the future, as a group or on their own. Meir Panim run in Israel a network of 14 soup kitchens.

The largest matzah in the world was donated to "Meir Panim"

28 March 2010

The largest hand-matzah in the world – 3 meters high, 3.2 meters wide – was presented by the Jerusalem Municipality to the Meir Panim charity organization. Its unveiling at a formal City Hall ceremony was the culmination of a month-long project involving hundreds of volunteers and social workers in which Seder meals were found for close to 4,000 people.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat presented the giant matzah to Meir Panim in recognition of what he called the organization’s “dedicated work throughout the year on behalf of the needy and those with lesser means, while maintaining their self-respect at the same time.”

The matzah was supposed to have been transported straight from the ceremony to be put on display in Sacher Park, and then distributed in pieces to various public Seders around the city – but most unfortunately, it did not stand up to the pressures of the trip, and went the way of most matzahs: It crumbled.

The giant matzah was baked at the Irenstein Matzah Bakery in Ashdod, and is Kosher for Passover. Forty people participated in the baking, including two rappellers who made the all-important matzah holes. It weighed 60 kilograms (132 lbs.), and was made of 50 kilos of flour (110 lbs.) and 22 liters (23.2 quarts) of water.  

The Seder-hosting project was run jointly by Ynet and Meir Panim, and was entitled Kulam B’seder (Everyone is OK, or, Everyone at a Seder). More than 3,600 families signed up online to host people at their Seders, and with the help of dedicated social workers matching up hosts and invitees, the organizers succeeded in finding Seder arrangements for close to 4,000 people.

Meir Panim's Director, Rachel Ebenboim told Israel National News, “This was an amazingly moving and major undertaking. We’re not talking about public Seders and the like; we’re talking about private people all over the country who wished to open their homes. Of the 3,600 families that registered, we were able to find matches for about half. And of course there were many different demands that had to be matched up: Some wanted to sleep over, some wanted to be picked up, some wanted to be in a Sephardic-Moroccan home, some wanted Sephardic-Tunisian, etc. Of course we matched up levels of observance as well wherever necessary… It is very gratifying to be part of Am Yisrael at times like this.”

 

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/136716

Jeweller Looking To Sparkle in Marathon

19 March 2010

Having clocked up 209.6 miles in running eight previous marathons, next month will see Hatton Garden jeweller Lewis Malka run his ninth  and final marathon, as he runs to help raise money to feed holocaust survivors.

While it seem as if the Diamond Geezer may be something of a serial marathon runner, the 35-year-old from Hendon confesses he never even envisaged finishing his first race: �When I started all those years ago, I didn't think I would manage to finish the first one, let alone be building up to my ninth one!"

Meir Panim's Israel Nutrition Centre will be the Largest Kitchen in the Middle East

17 March 2010

On Monday, March 8th, 2010, Meir Panim held a ceremony marking the beginning of renovations on the Mortimer Zuckerman and Abigail Zuckerman Israel Nutrition Centre in Kiryat Gat, which will be the largest industrial kitchen in the Middle East.   The renovations began as public officials, Jewish community leaders and businessmen from across the globe, mayor of Kiryat Gat Aviram Dahari, and representatives from Meir Panim and Schulz Quality Catering looked on. The kitchen should be finished by the end of this year. It will encompass over 100,000 square feet and will be a major stepping-stone towards reducing food insecurity in Israel. The kitchen will work around the clock, 24 hours a day, to produce 30,000 nutritious meals for the needy in Israel. The kitchen, operated by Schulz Quality Catering, will also provide meals to Schulz's clients. The Israel Nutrition Centre will create over 200 new jobs, and will focus on employing people with disabilities. Racheli Ebenbaum, Meir Panim's Director, said, "I see this ceremony as the fulfillment of my dream, and of hundreds of people that stand beside Meir Panim. This is a happy day for single-parent families, the elderly, Holocaust survivors and other needy people, because the Israel Nutrition Centre has the potential to eradicate food insecurity in Israel. The Schulz brothers, owners of Schulz Quality Catering, said, "It is a great honour for us to be a part of this important project. We are proud to be involved and to do our part for the community." Meir Panim operates over 30 supplementary relief centers that provide welfare services to tens of thousands of people across Israel.

Volunteering in Israel

14 March 2010

Historic Partnership Announced to Create Largest Anti-Hunger Programme in Israel

07 March 2010

The Israel Nutrition Center, which will commence operations in late 2010, is a project of American Friends of Meir Panim (AFMP) Jerusalem Post 7.3.10

 

A ground-breaking public-private partnership was announced recently between one of Israel’s largest non-profit relief agencies and a leading food service supplier to Israel’s high-tech industry. According to the arrangement, Schulz Quality Catering, a family owned and operated business with over 30 years of experience in the food service industry, will lease and operate the institutional kitchen at the Mortimer Zuckerman and Abigail Zuckerman Israel Nutrition Center located in the Negev Region town of Kiryat Gat. The facility will be the largest single source of food assistance in Israel and will benefit up to 30,000 children and families each day.

The Israel Nutrition Center, which will commence operations in late 2010, is a project of American Friends of Meir Panim (AFMP), a U.S. charity established to help its Israel-based counterpart, Meir Panim Relief Centers, to ease the suffering of Israel’s needy families. According to AFMP President David Roth, who spearheaded the project, meals prepared by Schulz Quality Catering at the center will be packaged and delivered via refrigerated trucks on a daily basis to Meir Panim’s national network of relief centers and selected public elementary schools.

Additionally, the Israel Nutrition Center will house a Free Restaurant, a Power of Giving family warehouse, an after-school youth club for children-at-risk and vocational training programs for the unemployed. The facility will also help the local community by creating over 200 new jobs at the site. The projects will operate in conjunction with local municipalities, educational and welfare services, and the Sacta Rashi Foundation.

In addition to leasing the facility’s kitchen to supply its 500 clients and 75
corporate dining centers, Schulz Quality Catering will also operate on a 24-hour-a-day production schedule to produce meals to feed the tens of thousands of needy Israeli children who rely on Meir Panim each day. According to a November 2, 2009 report from the Israel National Insurance Institute, 1,651,300 people in Israel currently live below the poverty line.

For Schulz, which will relocate its main production facility currently located in Kfar Saba to the Israel Nutrition Center as soon as construction is completed, the new site in Kiryat Gat provides excellent highway access, ample room for expansion and an opportunity to have a serious impact on the fight against hunger in Israel.

Yechiel Schulz, Founder and Owner of Schulz Quality Catering, stated, "As one of Israel's oldest catering services, we are intimately familiar with the country’s widespread hunger problem and feel a deep sense of responsibility to use our resources to help combat the problem. We are honored to join Meir Panim, Israel's largest relief organization, in this venture and to take an active role in the battle against hunger."

For Meir Panim, this partnership not only represents a vast increase in the relief agency’s capacity to provide assistance to Israel's poor, but it also ensures that patrons will receive the same high-quality meals that are being prepared for Schulz Quality Catering’s commercial clients by its highly acclaimed staff of chefs and nutritionists. Perhaps the most significant benefit of this joint venture to Meir Panim, however, is the fact that the annual revenues from its lease arrangement with Schulz will enable the Israel Nutrition Center to be a self-sustaining operation.

According to Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and an instrumental supporter of the project since its inception, the teaming of a not-for-profit relief organization with a for-profit business is potentially trend-setting. “In the face of these difficult economic times, it is crucial for every relief agency to be innovative and resourceful to meet the growing demand for its services”, he said. “This public-private collaboration will establish the largest food relief program in Israel, impacting the lives of tens of thousands of children and their families on a daily basis. It is a shining example of entrepreneurial philanthropy that deserves praise and should be emulated.”

Michael Fromm, Chairman of AFMP, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative and his gratitude to the Schulz family for their eagerness to take a leadership role among Israel’s business community in addressing the nation’s poverty crisis. “This is a clear act of social responsibility and dedication to a vision for providing a brighter future for Israel’s children,” he said. “With this partnership, we have reached a true turning point in the decade-long fight against hunger in Israel.” 

                                                                  # # #

About Schulz Quality Catering: Schulz Quality Catering is currently run by Yechiel and his three sons, Oren, Nir, and Chaim, and employs more than 1,000 employees serving over 60,000 meals a day. It provides dining services to more than 85% of Israel's high–tech industry including Amdocs, Orange, Bezeq International, and the Israel Aircraft Industry.  In addition, Schulz Quality Catering recently purchased one of Israel's leading gourmet catering businesses and is the exclusive caterer for all of the VIP affairs at the presidential residence. 

Schulz Quality Catering employs highly skilled chefs and nutritionists and operates with extremely high standards of cleanliness and professionalism and prides itself on its quality of service, food variety and attentiveness to its clients’ needs. In 2007, Schulz Quality Catering was awarded the prestigious "Golden Fork" award in recognition of its creative cooking and quality service.

About Meir Panim: Since 2000, Meir Panim Relief Centers has been the largest food and social services conduit of its kind, providing both immediate and long-term dignified relief to thousands of needy individuals daily via its network of 30 relief centers. Meir Panim’s free restaurants serve thousands of hot, nutritious meals daily in fourteen cities throughout Israel. In addition, packaged meals are delivered to needy schoolchildren, the homebound, elderly and disabled, including hundreds of Holocaust survivors. Power of Giving warehouses distribute donated clothing, furniture, and home appliances to the poor in nine branches. Struggling parents benefit from vocational training and prepaid food cards which enable them to sufficiently provide for their families. Meir Panim’s youth clubs help children-at-risk hope for a brighter future. Meir Panim serves over one million meals a year to Israel’s needy population. For more information, please visit us online at www.meirpanim.org/nutritioncenter.

Star Judaica assists Meir Panim

05 March 2010

 

StarrNet Ltd will donate 1% of all purchases maid on www.starjudaica.co.uk  to Meir Panim

 

400 Meir Panim's Purim cards were sold in less than 2 weeks

17 February 2010

This Purim, when others around you are sending sweets, send a special gift to make those in Israel's life sweeter - purchase a Mishloach Manot Card from Meir Panim.

Sushi to assist the needy

15 February 2010

A sell-out group of 30 people took part in a Sushi cookery session in Edgware.  £1000 was raised for a needy family in Israel.

The proceeds will go directly to assist the Hershko family in Israel, who are living in poverty. Mr. Reoven Hershko is in coma since the 9th of July, 2009. His wife and 3 children are in much need of help. Meir Panim will provide them with a food shopping card

Uk branch of Meir panim Director Gaby Blauer said, "It's a unique combination of having fun, eating very good food, learning how to cook and assisting a worthy cause. We plan to continue these kind of events."

 

Bank of Israel Staff Donates Tu B'shvat Packages to the Needy

01 February 2010

Bank of Israel Staff Donates Tu B'shvat Packages to the Needy

Meir Panim got a welcome surprise when the Bank of Israel staff board called, asking how they can get involved in aiding the needy.

They suggested to the Bank of Israel staff that they donate their annual Tu B'shvat packages to Meir Panim, instead of distributing them at the office. The staff members gladly donated tens of gift baskets filled with fruit and nuts, and some of the workers added monetary donations, too! The packages were collected from the Bank of Israel offices in Jerusalem on Tuesday, and distributed in Meir Panim's free restaurant in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Tu B'shvat. The high quality of the packages and the donors' generosity was appreciated by the visiting American volunteers, as well.

Donate to Meir panim and enjoy a glass of Tishbi wine at the same time

24 January 2010

Order Tishbi wine online and 10% cash back will be donated to Meir Panim.

for more information please visit:

http://www.tishbigreen.co.uk/order.php
 

Please don't forget to enter Meir Panim in the box provided when completing the Tishbi order page.

 

Joint Candle-Lighting from London to Or Akiva

25 December 2009

Meir Panim youth club in Or Akiva, Israel and the Hasmonean School in London participated in a special Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony together on Wednesday, December 15th.

Meir Panim UK new newsletter template

18 December 2009

Click on the image on the left to see our new newsletter template

A letter from Moriah (9) Kiryat Gat

09 December 2009

 

Hi,

 

My name is Moriah and I am 9 years old. Every day when school is over I

come to pick up dinner at the Meir Panim restaurant. My sister also comes

with me. We bring the food home for our family to eat.

 

The nice girl who gave me food said I could help other kids who are hungry

get food also. She said I should write why I come to Meir Panim.

 

My father is very sick. He used to go to work every day, but now he can’t

get out of bed. Now my mother goes to work. She even has to work at

night. Me and my sister come home from school so hungry but there is

nothing to eat. Sometimes when my mother comes home I can hear her

talking to my father that we have no money. She starts to cry and I put

my pillow over my head to fall asleep.

 

I love coming to Meir Panim and getting yummy food. I love when they

have chicken and mashed potatoes and the soup makes me feel warm. The

people are all so nice and they make me and my sister feel happy.

 

I hope you like my letter and you help Meir Panim. I want to help other kids

be happy like me.

 

Love,

Moriah

Kiryat Gat, Israel

Gemma is the new raising star

22 November 2009

Manchester raising funds for Meir Panim

21 November 2009

A new social outlet is being created to help Jewish singles of all ages to meet. Organiser Anne Atties told the JC (20.11.09) that following a letter in the local press about the lack of social activities she "decided to do somthing about it". Proceeds from the events are to be donated to Meir Panim. To find out more about the group contact anne on: 01617967967.

 

Marathon Man raises over £7,200 to help Israelis living in poverty

07 November 2009

Hatton Garden jeweller Lewis Malka completed the ING New York City Marathon in a time of 4 hours 39 minutes flat, and in so doing went above his target of raising £7,200 for Meir Panim, an Israeli-based charity that helps the underprivileged and the elderly, including many Holocaust survivors who live in poverty. 

While the ‘diamond geezer’ looks forward to a well earned break after his eighth completed marathon, the money raised will go towards funding innovative food cards, topped up with 250 shekels( £36) a month, that needy Israelis can use at supermarkets across Israel.  As Lewis explains, “The money raised will feed more than 200 Holocaust survivors for a month. I love the idea of an electronic food card, because instead of queuing up for charity food parcels, it allows people to preserve their self-respect and to choose their food and essentials by themselves.”

Running with an injury (the IT band on Lewis’ left knee flared up six weeks ago), he finished only nine minutes slower than his last marathon, although he found himself being overtaken by “an Abba double act in handcuffs and a six foot parrot”.

The total raised so far is £7,368 and Lewis is grateful to everyone who has supported him.  Displaying his hard-won medal, Lewis says the low point was mile 15 at Queensboro Bridge, “a mile of steep bridge”.  And the high point?  “Finishing!”

It’s not too late to show your support for Lewis’ sporting efforts, visit his Just Giving page at:  http://www.justgiving.com/lewismalka/

Epidemic Of Poverty Spreading In Israel

11 October 2009

We have just finished a 25-hour fast. Some of us were perhaps a little hungry on Yom Kippur, others maybe didn't feel it at all.

But Magda, 85, an Auschwitz survivor who lives in Israel, goes hungry almost every day. Like many other Holocaust survivors, Magda has to decide whether to spend her money on food or other expenses - her rent, medications, heating and electricity. She usually eats bread and some soup she makes out of potato peel.

Tammy, eight, came to Israel from Russia with her mother when she was three years old. Tammy's breakfast is a glass of milk or, sometimes, just a glass of water. She goes to school without anything for lunch. Her friend Ayala usually shares her fruit with her, and sometimes her sandwich. Often, Tammy gets her first proper meal at Meir Panim's afterschool club. This is usually the only hot meal she has during the day.

Magda and Tammy are microcosms of the poverty epidemic that is spreading across Israel.

The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics last month published new figures on socio-economic change within Israeli society between 2003 and 2007. The figures painted a very difficult picture. Israel is poorer, hungrier, with larger populations living without access to vital services such as medical care. The report shows that 40 percent of children in Israel in 2007 were at risk of poverty. In comparison, the risk-of-poverty rate in EU countries remained at around 15-16 per cent during this period.

The poverty gap in Israel continues to widen, and it is Israel's children and elderly citizens who suffer most. Charities like Meir Panim saw before Rosh Hashanah growing numbers of Israelis who came and asked for assistance.
Meir Panim distributed more than 2,000 food cards for needy families and Holocaust survivors in time for the holiday season. Each food card is worth 250 shekels (�36) and can be topped up. The card enables the families and Holocaust survivors to purchase essentials for the holidays. Using the card helps them to feel equal and reduces the charities' involvement in their life.
They are able to choose their food and essentials by themselves, purchasing the foods suitable to them.

Every month, Meir Panim branches will continue to top up 1,000 cards for needy Holocaust survivors like Magda. Another survivor, Irena, 84, who received the card, told an Israeli newspaper: "The card helps me buy products that I could not afford without some serious thinking, for example meat. This is a very good card and it is a shame that it is not distributed to more Holocaust survivors".

Organisations such as Meir Panim should not exist in the Jewish state. The Israeli government is supposed to take care of its people: the elderly, Holocaust survivors, disabled, children and unemployed. The Israeli government must consider poverty as an epidemic, prioritise this issue and find ways to eliminate it. Sadly, despite the country's achievements in new technology, health and science, it leaves Holocaust survivors and children to fend for themselves. Since 2000, the number of poor people in Israel has grown dramatically and more and more organisations such as Meir Panim have been forced to fill the gap left by the government and help the poor and the needy.

Today, thanks to the goodwill of donors, organisations such as Meir Panim can assist the needy, providing hot meals, food cards, training for unemployed, after-school activities for kids and much more. Magda and Tammy need the support today. I call on the Israeli government to wake up. This is an emergency call.

The Jewish News - 1 October 2009

40% of Israeli children at poverty risk

23 September 2009

Risk of poverty is defined as belonging to a household with a disposable income per capita less than 60% of the national median equalized disposable income.

Socioeconomic gaps are most sharply seen between Jews and Arabs. 27% of Jewish children are at poverty risp, while 73% of Arab children in Israel are at poverty risk. The rate of poverty risk for all the Arab population in Israel rose from 26% in 2001 to 30% in 2007. For comparison, the risk-of-poverty rate in EU countries remained around 15-16% between during this period.

Some 90% of households with only one adult are single-mother households. Thirty-six percent of these households are not at poverty risk.

Arabs in catastrophic situation

Between 2003 and 2007, the rate of young people foregoing food for economic reasons rose by 7% (from 14% to 21%). Some 23% of women reported they gave up food versus 18% of men. The rate of foregoing food for economic purposes in the ultra-Orthodox population was nearly double that of the secular population (30% as opposed to 15% respectively). The situation of within the Arab sector is the most severe. The rate of foregoing food within the Arab sector more than doubled between 2003 and 2007 (21% versus 50% respectively).

Among households with low per capita gross income (less than NIS 2,000, or $535, per capita), there was a 14% change in the rate of foregoing food, whereas the rate of foregoing food among households with high per capita gross income (more than NIS 4,000, or $1,070 per capita) remained static at 4%.

In 2007, only 53% of people above the age of 20 reported being able to cover their monthly household operating expenses (such as food, electricity, telephone, etc.). When broken down by sector, 56% of Jews and only 33% of Arabs above 20 years old reported being able to cover these expenses.

The report, entitled "The Face of the Society: Objective and Subjective Indices of Poverty and Social Exclusion", deals with eight societal parameters that paint a picture of Israeli society. These parameters are: social, economic, and employment hardship, poverty and social exclusion indices (in comparison with EU countries), welfare, education, health, transportation (including road accidents), law and order, and the environment. The report also deals with gaps between men and women in Israel.

 Less people feel poor

In 2007, 52% of adults above the age of 20 needed medical attention. Seventeen percent of this group did not seek medical treatment because of economic difficulties. This is a 4% increase from 2003 figures.

In regards to feeling poor, the report found trends opposite than the statistical reality of poverty. In 2007, 28% felt poor versus 31% in 2003. More than 70% of those who felt poor gave up on sufficient cooling or heating of their home, supplementary health insurance, or dental work.

 

 

 

 

40% of Israeli children at poverty risk - Yediot Aharonot

22 September 2009

Central Bureau of Statistics figures on socioeconomic change within Israeli society between 2003 and 2007 paint difficult picture. Israel is poorer, hungrier, and larger populations not seeking vital services, such as medical care. Gaps between Arabs and Jews are huge

More and more Israelis are poor, hungry, and abstain from seeking medical attention for themselves. This is the bottom line of the report published Monday afternoon by the Central Bureau of Statistics in honor of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The report shows that 40% of children in Israel in 2007 were at poverty risk, as opposed to just 33% in 2001.

Risk of poverty is defined as belonging to a household with a disposable income per capita less than 60% of the national median equalized disposable income.

Socioeconomic gaps are most sharply seen between Jews and Arabs. 27% of Jewish children are at poverty risp, while 73% of Arab children in Israel are at poverty risk. The rate of poverty risk for all the Arab population in Israel rose from 26% in 2001 to 30% in 2007. For comparison, the risk-of-poverty rate in EU countries remained around 15-16% between during this period. 

Some 90% of households with only one adult are single-mother households. Thirty-six percent of these households are not at poverty risk.

Arabs in catastrophic situation

 

Between 2003 and 2007, the rate of young people foregoing food for economic reasons rose by 7% (from 14% to 21%). Some 23% of women reported they gave up food versus 18% of men. The rate of foregoing food for economic purposes in the ultra-Orthodox population was nearly double that of the secular population (30% as opposed to 15% respectively). The situation of within the Arab sector is the most severe. The rate of foregoing food within the Arab sector more than doubled between 2003 and 2007 (21% versus 50% respectively).

 

Among households with low per capita gross income (less than NIS 2,000, or $535, per capita), there was a 14% change in the rate of foregoing food, whereas the rate of foregoing food among households with high per capita gross income (more than NIS 4,000, or $1,070 per capita) remained static at 4%.

In 2007, only 53% of people above the age of 20 reported being able to cover their monthly household operating expenses (such as food, electricity, telephone, etc.). When broken down by sector, 56% of Jews and only 33% of Arabs above 20 years old reported being able to cover these expenses.

The report, entitled "The Face of the Society: Objective and Subjective Indices of Poverty and Social Exclusion", deals with eight societal parameters that paint a picture of Israeli society. These parameters are: social, economic, and employment hardship, poverty and social exclusion indices (in comparison with EU countries), welfare, education, health, transportation (including road accidents), law and order, and the environment. The report also deals with gaps between men and women in Israel.

 

Less people feel poor

 

In 2007, 52% of adults above the age of 20 needed medical attention. Seventeen percent of this group did not seek medical treatment because of economic difficulties. This is a 4% increase from 2003 figures.

In regards to feeling poor, the report found trends opposite than the statistical reality of poverty. In 2007, 28% felt poor versus 31% in 2003. More than 70% of those who felt poor gave up on sufficient cooling or heating of their home, supplementary health insurance, or dental work.

In 2007, 15% of employed persons above the age of 20 were unsatisfied with their jobs and 44% were unsatisfied with their salaries. Some 9% of all employed persons feared losing their jobs, but 54% of them estimated that they would be able to find another job at a comparable salary should they be dismissed. Some 50% of women were unsatisfied with their salary versus 40% of men.

European statistics on poverty risk are smaller by half of Israeli figures (15% versus 30% respectively in 2007). The number of large families in Israel is higher than the number of large families in Europe, and the number of wage-earners in such households is consistently smaller. This is the main contributing factor to the vast gap in poverty risk in Israel versus Europe.

Charities struggle to feed Israel's poor - By Ben Lynfield - The JC

18 September 2009

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, Israeli charities are buckling under the strain of providing for growing numbers of needy people, while their own resources are dwindling because of the country’s economic downturn.

“It’s very difficult for those of us who are holding the front,” said Shlomit Shulov-Barkan, deputy director of the Meir Panim soup kitchen network. It has been forced to lay off more than 40 of its 120 employees in the past six months due to declining donations, most of which come from Israelis.

Another leading charity providing food for the needy, Latet, estimates that 200,000 families will need assistance on Rosh Hashanah. But despite a major fundraising campaign, its director, Eran Weintraub, doubts whether all those in need will be provided for.

“The number of people we can help in peripheral areas is down. We distribute less because we get less donations.”

Contributions to Latet have dropped by 30 per cent compared to last year, while need has grown by 15 per cent.

From Latet’s experience in the field, there is nothing to corroborate optimistic headlines that the economy is turning around, Mr Weintraub said.

“I hope someone will help the people we can’t get to. They live in food insecurity. It’s not a situation of starvation, but of hunger. Buying food will mean no money to pay rent or for schoolbooks or medicine.”

Mr Weintraub faults the government for, in his view, leaving the burden of feeding the poor to voluntary groups.

“The people in the government are not connected to the problem and maybe they don’t care,” he says.

A government committee last year headed by Nahum Itzkovitz, director-general of the Social Welfare Ministry, recommended allocating NIS 50 million (£8 million) a year to voluntary organisations to feed the poor.

“So far we haven’t see a dime, even though Netanyahu said as far back as Pesach that the government would deal with food insecurity issues,” according to Mr Weintraub.

Mr Itzkovitz, however, said that his ministry is working on plans to launch a food bank with the business sector and charitable organisations.

“We are working on this for the long-term and a little patience is necessary.”

The ministry organised the distribution throughout the country of 46,000 holiday gift cards worth NIS 400 (£65) each, sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

Food card for 2000 needy Israelis

15 September 2009

A unique new social start-up for Israelis in need:

Meir Panim's electronic card will be replacing food packages these coming High Holidays.

Meir Panim's enterprise will operate in partnership with Reshet cable television network, the financial newspaper Globes, business company Slackt, and a giant supermarket chain in Israel.

The food card will be topped-up with 250 shekels (worth £36) and will be distributed to thousands of people in need around Israel.  Meir panim will give out the cards to people on local welfare lists of families in need. A social worker will help the families with advice on effective shopping.

The card will enable the families to purchase essentials for the coming holidays instead of queuing up for the food packages that are given by different charities. Using the card will help them feel equal and reduce the charities’ involvement in their life. They will be able to choose their food and essentials by themselves, purchasing the foods suitable to them, excluding cigarettes and alcohol.

The general public will be able to donate to this project in all big supermarket chains in Israel. Reshet and Globes will be advertising the project to increase awareness and donations.

So far 2000 cards were distributed.

Running the NY marathon for Meir Panim

12 September 2009

We’ve joined justgiving.com!

30 August 2009

 

We’ve teamed up with Justgiving.com, the UK’s leading online fundraising website, so you can donate and raise funds for us online.

 

 

It’s easy to make a single or monthly donation with a credit or debit card online:

 

All you need to do is go to  http://www.justgiving.com/meirpanimuk/

 

Justgiving reclaims Gift Aid automatically and pays your donation directly to us at the end of every week, and the site is 100% secure.

 

 

Just giving also gives you the option of raising money for Meir Panim, by creating your own fundraising page, or joining one of the appeals that are already up and running in the just giving web site eg  http://www.justgiving.com/lewismalka/

 

Thank you !

 

 

A new warehouse in Ashkelon

22 July 2009

Israeli teens spend the summer break volunteering

08 July 2009

from: Haaretz, 7.7.09

By Noah Kosharek

While most teenagers spend the summer vacation meeting friends, going to the beach and partying, some use the free time for volunteer work. Jerusalemite Oshrit Iluz, who is going into the 12th-grade, and her mother report at 9 A.M. every day to the Meir Panim relief center's soup kitchen, where they and other volunteers prepare to serve 350 needy diners at noon. "Nicole, the manager, starts cooking in the morning and we help her. We also clean up and put things in order," says Iluz. "The diners arrive between noon and 2 P.M. and we serve them, pack them food and after they leave, clean up," she says. Iluz usually finishes work at about 3 P.M. "This is how I have fun on my vacation. I enjoy myself here and time flies," says Iluz, who has been volunteering during her summer break for the past three and a half years. She goes out with friends after work. After the school year begins she will volunteer in the afternoons, she says.

1,200 children attending Meir Panim's summer camps

08 July 2009

Some 1,200 children are participating in 13 summer camps run by Meir Panim in the cities of Safed (Tsfat), Hatzor, Acco, Tveria, Kiryat Gat, Or Akiva, Dimona and Yerucham. Besides for breakfast and lunch provided by Meir Panim, the children participate in a wide variety of activities including sports, horseback riding, hikes and more. The children participate in the camps for free – they are all recognised by their local welfare departments as needy children and children at risk. Many of them are at risk of being removed from their homes. Meir Panim's youth clubs provide these children with a warm home away-from-home and structured activities during their free time, during which they receive a hot meal, often their only meal of the day, and homework help. During the summer break throughout the month of July, the youth clubs run summer camps from 8am and through the afternoon. The camps also provide educational workshops in topics such as music, wilderness survival, and more.

 

Grant supports charity’s goals in UK

03 July 2009

From The Jewish Chronicle

James Martin

July 2, 2009

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant told the story of his father’s survival of the Holocaust at the launch of the UK branch of an Israeli charity.

Meir Panim supports Israelis living in poverty, including Holocaust survivors.

Mr Grant, who coached Chelsea to last year’s Champions League final, discussed his father Meir Granat’s survival in Siberia, where he was exiled for three years during the Holocaust.

 

“I will never forget him screaming during the night,” said Mr Grant, who was told of his father’s story when he was 15.

Living as one of nine children in an Orthodox family in Poland, Meir Granat was the only family member who survived Siberia.

Mr Grant said: “Once I heard about how my father, who was just 13, had to bury his parents and several of his siblings. It changed my life forever.”

His father went to Palestine but was arrested by the British and imprisoned in Cyprus. He eventually settled in Petach Tikvah and married an Iraqi immigrant, Aliza Nisan.

Making his first public appearance since leaving Chelsea last May, Mr Grant said that he was amazed at the lack of knowledge about the Holocaust from English non-Jews.

“There were lots of people who didn’t understand anything about the Holocaust. That lack of knowledge is a problem.”

Speaking about his football management career, he said that he “needed a new challenge”, adding that he “was one kick away from winning the biggest club tournament in the world, so I have unfinished business and that could be in England or abroad”.

In her address to the 140-strong audience, Dr Shlomit Shuluv Barkan, deputy director of Meir Panim Israel, said: “Tonight’s event will allow thousands of Holocaust survivors to receive assistance towards their provision of food.”

The event, held at Ivy House in Golders Green, raised more than £5,000 for Meir Panim, which runs 30 centres in Israel supporting needy people, many of whom can’t survive on the state pension.

Five-stars hotels to feed Meir Panim costumers at its soup kitchen in Jerusalem

11 June 2009

A new joint initiative by Meir Panim and several of Jerusalem’s top hotels, restaurants and banquet halls is under way: to deliver food from the best professional kitchens in the city to Meir Panim’s soup kitchen. The Crown Plaza, Moraiah Classic, Montifiori, Har Zion, Inbal and Reich are among those who will take part in the initiative.

A delivery line will operate using a refrigerated van that will collect the food from the hotels.

The project was launched on Sunday June 14th at the Meir Panim soup kitchen on 11 Hazvi street in Jerusalem. The ceremony unveiled a new refrigerated delivery van that was donated by Klein and Coll, Germany in memory of Therese Keller-April.

Every day, the van will visit the hotels, restaurants and banquet halls and collect cooked meals and pre-prepared food that will be delivered the following day to the diners.  

"The needy deserve to enjoy gourmet food, too," said Meir Panim's Director, Rachel Ebenboim, at the inauguration.

 

Back to work/life

09 May 2009

Efrat's story: In her own words

 

"My name is Efrat. I am 35 and the mother of 2 wonderful children. Last year we entered a shelter for battered women in Jerusalem, due to my partner's violent behavior. It goes without saying that we arrived there with nothing. When we arrived in Jerusalem I was an emotional wreck, one step away from a total breakdown. My many attempts to find a job amounted to nothing. 

 

After several months, I was informed that I had been accepted to Meir Panim’s “Back to Work" workshop for women. Meir Panim's workshop provided the springboard that saved my family and I believe many other families as well. It helped me regain my self-confidence and to believe in my abilities. It provided me with many values and tools that enabled me to return to work. My belief in myself became stronger, more so than ever before in my life.

 

The wonderful counselors were determined and focused. They provided me with intensive mentoring and support. Thanks to them I was able to believe in myself and my abilities – and to find work in a large company in Jerusalem. I have been working there for several months and am very satisfied with the job".

 

About Meir Panim's "Back to Work" workshops:

 

The goals of the workshops are:

1. To raise participants’ self-confidence through an empowerment programme,

2. To improve participants’ chances of future employment through a comprehensive job search preparation course and vocational training,

3. To place participants in steady jobs.

 

The impact of this programme on the participants has been tremendous. In the most recent course in Jerusalem, sponsored by the UJA - Jewish Federation of New York, all of the participants witnessed a marked improvement in increased self-esteem, concrete job searching tools and computer skills. 95% of the participants who wanted immediate job placement found relevant employment. The group setting became a support system for the women during their job searches and personal difficulties.

 

Efrat's success is also our supporters and donors' success. They have helped numerous families rebuild their lives, in accordance with the highest level of charity according to Maimonides: enabling a person to become self-sufficient (Mishna Torah, Laws of Charity, 10:7-14).

 

“He who saves one life... it is as if he saves the entire universe”

The other face (Panim) of Pesach in Israel 2009

22 April 2009

Mouths to feed - By Larry Derfner - Jerusalem Post

07 April 2009

Last Pessah, Meir Panim, the country's largest network of "soup kitchens," distributed boxes of Seder meals to 24,000 people. It also gave out NIS 250 grocery coupons to 6,700 people. This Pessah, only a few hundred people will get those coupons. And the number of those who will receive Seder meals-in-a-box? Zero.

"Our Pessah campaign has been all but canceled," says Dudi Zilberschlag, founder of Meir Panim and the leading fund-raiser and power-broker in Israel's haredi world, while multitasking with aides in his office at Jerusalem's Bikur Holim Hospital. In late 2007, his donors, who include the wealthiest Jews here and abroad, began reducing their contributions, but since Lehman Brothers went bankrupt last September and it became clear that the world was in the grip of something much worse than an ordinary, cyclical recession, these contributions have simply dried up.

"The big Israeli corporations are out of the game," says Zilberschlag, in his 50s, a gentle-spoken man who takes hard times philosophically. He mentions a couple of super-rich Israelis, saying that they used to give him about $100,000 each before Pessah. "This time - nothing," he says.

In the last year, Meir Panim has closed five of its 17 soup kitchens, while Koah Latet, its affiliated charity for clothing and household goods, has closed down two of 14 branches. The organization's NIS 50 million budget has been cut by 30 percent; 41 of its 134 employees have been let go.

"We used to give hot meals to 700 kids in our after-school programs, now we're feeding maybe 200. We used to deliver 900 meals to the homes of old, sick, handicapped people who couldn't come in - we've stopped those deliveries completely," says Zilbershlag. "We're basically down to the core of what we do - the restaurants [i.e. soup kitchens]. We're still feeding 6,000 people, we don't turn anyone away, but we can't give them meat every day anymore, so we give them more carbohydrates."

Meir Panim was founded eight years ago, shortly after the second intifada began, the economy nosedived and the government, strapped for cash, began slashing away at financial assistance to poor people. As the welfare state dwindled, private charity picked up the slack, until now there are more than 120 soup kitchens around the country.

FOR THE last eight years, the directors of these charities have always cried poverty, saying their donations weren't keeping up with the needs of the poor people they served. They were telling the truth, but it could be assumed that they were laying it on a little thick because that's what fund-raisers do.

Now, however, Zilberschlag and the others aren't exaggerating. The big chill is here. People everywhere feel that the ground is moving under their feet, and no one knows how long this is going to last or where it's going to leave them. In such a state of mind, one of the first things they cut back on is charitable giving. In a country like Israel, where the government has tacitly transferred much of the responsibility for care of the poor to private charities, this is a calamity. Some 200,000 families are kept afloat by private charities, and however hard it was before for these charities to hold them up, now they are simply sinking.

The plant closures and layoffs are throwing more people on the mercy of private charities, and while the newly-unemployed aren't showing up in large numbers yet, they're expected to if the economy continues to spiral downward - which is also widely expected. Eran Weintraub, head of Latet, the umbrella organization for the country's food charities, told The Jerusalem Post's Ruth Eglash last week that if this shortfall between the rising numbers of needy and the dwindling level of donations continues to widen, by the end of this year "the poverty situation will just become unmanageable." The lifeline for the poor is unraveling. Gevalt has become an understatement.

At Meir Panim's soup kitchen near the main entrance to Jerusalem, about a dozen old people, along with one man who looks to be in his late 30s, are eating a lunch of kugel, pasta, soup, burekas, a roll, a tangerine and fruit drink. In the office behind the kitchen, Nicole Miron is in her first month as manager, working as an unpaid volunteer. She worked for Koah Latet for several years until she got laid off four months ago; now she collects unemployment benefits and donates her time to the soup kitchen. Its clientele has grown to 300.

"We used to get only old people, Holocaust survivors, but now we're getting younger people with families who lost their jobs, who can't pay their mortgage, who got divorced," says Miron. While we're talking, three elderly people come to the doorway, one after the other, to ask very politely about when they will be getting their Pessah coupons. "Come in next Monday," she tells them sympathetically.

The lunch is prepared and served by volunteers, many of whom, Miron says, also depend on the soup kitchen for their main meal of the day.

I wait outside for the one young person who was eating lunch there and, after being promised anonymity, he tells me in fluent, Russian-accented Hebrew that he's been eating lunch there for about a month. "It helps. I work part-time as a housekeeper, and my salary isn't even worth discussing." He says he lost his full-time job when his employer, in economic straits, made cutbacks in the staff.

What did he use to do? "I'm a social worker." Where did he work? "At the Joint [Distribution Committee]."

ON REHOV Maccabim in Dimona, it's just after 11 a.m. and about a dozen people are waiting at the entrance to the local Meir Panim soup kitchen for lunch to start. Most of them are old, but there is one man in his 20s who has the unkempt, pale look of someone who hasn't had a pressing reason to get out of bed in the morning for a long time, and there is another man in his 20s or 30s who, every now and then, can be seen talking quietly to himself. A pile of donated clothes lies at the door for whoever's in need.

 

Dimona is a well-kept but poor, badly frayed town covered with three-story beige tenements from the 1960s and '70s. Old, worn-out people sit staring on benches in front of the buildings. The town blends in with the light-brown hills and desert surrounding it. We were there on the first warm day of the season, after a long period of rain. The sky was clear and beautiful, but there was also that bright desert stillness that hangs over these chronically poor Negev towns that seems to stop time. Being in Dimona is like being in a different country, in the Israel of 30 years ago.

Inside, plans are being made for the Seder night. This is a tradition at this soup kitchen, and this year about 140 people - half of them Meir Panim regulars, the other half Holocaust survivors and soldiers on their own - will be sitting down to dinner. There will be no skimping. "We hire a caterer, we have waiters - the best," says soup kitchen director Nissim Elmakayis.

Except for the Seder, though, Meir Panim's operations in Dimona have been hit hard. "I'm getting half the salary I used to get, I go months without getting paid. Unfortunately, because of the economic situation, it's not the same organization it used to be," says Albert Ayash, the food manager, a retired chief cook at a desert IAF base. He used to cook for 2,500 very well-fed soldiers, now he cooks for 450 malnourished civilians.

The clientele has increased by about 20% over the last year, says Elmakayis - a combination of laid-off employees, demobilized soldiers and working people whose debts overtook them. The organization used to deliver meals to 30 or 40 local families, but canceled this service when gas became too expensive.

"We used to serve meat at every meal, but now we can't," says Ayash. The menu for the day is soup, hot dogs, rice, eggplant, a roll and an orange.

Checking out the lunch room for Pessah preparations is Meir Hazan, head of the municipality's Youth and Education Department. To help make up the shortfall in donations - and, of course, as a character lesson - he says Dimona city schools asked each pupil to donate NIS 1 for charity. There was a much more intense door-to-door collection campaign by youth groups.

Zilberschlag says that instead of depending on millionaires and billionaires to feed Meir Panim's clientele, he's concentrating more on Internet and direct mail campaigns to the rank-and-file of the Jewish people, here and abroad, looking for a large volume of "NIS 18 and NIS 36 donations." The city of Dimona, which supports Meir Panim's local charities, is doing essentially the same thing, says Hazan.

There's been an ironic sort of trickle-down effect on places like Dimona, he says: "The Jewish Agency, the Jewish National Fund, the Rashi-Sacta Foundation - all these major Jewish philanthropies have always provided a great deal of the funding for projects in the periphery. But their big donors have lost a lot of money, they're contributing less, so these philanthropies have less to give us."

Still, the municipality's grassroots fund-raising has paid off: 1,500 local residents will be getting Pessah coupons worth hundreds of shekels each. But that's considerably fewer recipients than in years past. Says Hazan: "There's this beautiful Pessah tradition of kimha d'pis'ha [pre-Pessah charity] that we keep, and we always tried to give something, even a small donation, to all the elderly and poor in the city. But now we have to be much more selective - to concentrate our resources on the people who really cannot have the Pessah meal at all without getting substantial aid."

THIS WEEK the government was expected to take steps toward "bailing out" private charities and social aid organizations. Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog said: "The nonprofit sector is under serious threat of crashing completely and most of those who will be affected by this are the country's weakest and neediest populations who rely on their services."

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is blamed by the "poverty lobby" for having greatly exacerbated the problem when, as finance minister in 2003-5, he made unprecedented cuts to welfare. For him now to turn around and bail out these charities who've been picking up the slack left by his government - and others, too - would be an ironic reversal of direction.

In recent years, one of the glaring symbols of Pessah here has been the long lines of poor people queuing up at food charities for hours, through the night, so they might get their Seder boxes before the supply runs out. Typically, the people are angry, they push, they shout, often they fight among themselves. It is an ugly scene - for the country, for the recipients.

"We want to get away from that, from those pathetic scenes," says Zilberschlag, explaining another reason, besides being strapped for cash, that Meir Panim isn't giving out Seder boxes this year and is using the little money it has for the holiday on grocery coupons. "This way nobody has to know who's on relief, you hand your coupon to the supermarket clerk, nobody has to be shamed in public."

SHAME IS a very important concern at Meir Panim. For this reason, the people who eat at the soup kitchens are required to pay a symbolic NIS 1 for their meal, so they are not completely shamed as beggars. Children are not allowed in at meal time for fear that they will be ashamed to see their parents taking charity, but also for fear that they will see this as natural and be instilled with the idea that it's acceptable to grow up to become a charity case.

"Shoshana," who has been eating lunch at Meir Panim near the entrance to Jerusalem, for some eight months, agreed to be interviewed by phone only after being promised that neither her name nor any identifiable detail about her or her family would be published. "I'm not used to this, to getting help, especially for food. I was always independent. This is hard for me, I'm ashamed. But what can I do? I have children. We have to eat."

 

A divorced mother in her 40s, she started coming to Meir Panim after she was laid off as a secretary at a large public sector office, where she had worked for many years. But even before she lost her job, her debts had gotten out of hand. Now, of course, she's unofficially bankrupt and can't get credit anywhere. "We've been served with eviction notices; they came to repossess our belongings; they want to cut off our water and electricity." She and her three children live on NIS 1,800 a month from the National Insurance Institute plus the piddling amount her ex-husband gives her in child support.

I ask if she and her kids go hungry.

"Yes," she says. "I've lost a lot of weight. I eat lunch every day at Meir Panim and I take home lunch in containers for my children. Sometimes the meal tides us over until lunch the next day. Sometimes they give me rolls so I can give the kids a roll with a little spread for breakfast. We don't have much for dinner. We don't have meat, or cheese - it's too expensive. Even fruit and vegetables - I consider them luxury items.

"My son is a combat soldier, and when he's on furlough he's ashamed to eat from the containers I bring home. He doesn't tell any of the other soldiers the situation we're in," she says.

"But it's not like I'm in a depression - this is our life now, I've gotten used to it. I don't think about it. Now that I describe it, it sounds sad, but usually I don't think about it, I don't look at it like this. And I try not to let it depress the younger children, to let them feel how deprived they are. When the mood at home is sad, I do something to lift their spirits. It doesn't cost much money. We make popcorn, we bake a cake. Just the smell of it makes them happy."

 

A magnetic card assists holocaust survivors

29 March 2009

Of the 691,000 elderly populations in Israel, 28 percent are survivors of the Holocaust. Some 24 percent of all elderly people live under the poverty line.

Last week, the Israeli popular e-newspaper Ynet (Yediot Aharonot) published the story of Irena Power who was transported to Auschwitz at the age of 17. Her entire family died in the holocaust.

 

She emigrated to Israel from Romania, Upon her arrival to Israel, she asked the German government for compensation, but was rejected for lack of documents and received no help in this case.

“I was supposed to receive a pension from the German government as I worked for them and the government of Israel did not assist me. It does not matter anymore as I do not have long to live anyway” she was quoted as saying.

“The Israeli government pays me a pension, because I arrived in Israel as a pensioner, and I am used to survive by the very little available to me. At my age I do not need much anymore and I do not eat much. I buy cheap products..."

To meet this need Meir Panim is distributing food shopping cards resembling credit cards, which are used as a gift card at major food chain stores. These cards, designated specifically for Holocaust survivors, are worth £36 of groceries each month (excluding alcohol and cigarettes) and are valid for an entire year. Cards are being distributed by Meir Panim branches throughout Israel to 1000 needy Holocaust survivors in 10 cities in Israel’s periphery during the year 2009. Hopefully, thanks to this initiative the Holocaust survivors won’t have to make a choice between food and other expenses such as rent, medicine, heating or electricity.

Will a magnetic card save holocaust survivors? - By Yael Bernowsky - Yediot Aharonot

18 March 2009

As part of a new trial project, approximately 1000 holocaust survivors will receive a magnetic card with which they will be able to buy groceries amounting to 300 INS (Israeli New Shekel) per month.

One holocaust survivor said: "I am normally buying cheap products. Now I will be able to buy a bit more than usual".

The state of the holocaust survivors in Israel is grim. As of last year some of them received a small increase in their pensions. However, lots of them are threatened by hunger and receive help from different charities.

Currently, as part of a trial project, 1000 holocaust survivors will receive a rechargeable magnetic card with which they will be able to buy groceries for the coming 2009 Jewish Passover. This new card, which was developed in conjunction with Meir Panim, will be charged with 300 INS every month for a year. The card will allow the holders to purchase groceries from the main food outlets (except alcohol and cigarettes).

Irena Power, an 84 year old Auschwitz survivor from Nazareth, received lately her magnetic card. "The card helped me buy products that I could not afford to buy without some serious thinking , for example meat. This is a very good card and it is a shame that it is not distributed to more holocaust survivors."

Solly Armon, a project manager at The Company for Location and Restitution of Holocaust Victims Assets, a state organization working in conjunction with various charities, explained in a conversation with ynet that there is a disagreement as to the best way to help holocaust survivors. "Most of the time, the survivors are very lonely and therefore we are running a project where the food distribution is carried out by volunteers arriving at their house."

However, it is worthy to note that when a survivor receive a magnetic card by post his self respect preservation is cared for as well as allowing the holder to choose the products he prefers to purchase. Survivors need not pass their personal details to receive the magnetic card. The charity involved in their case carries out the request at The Company for Location and Restitution of Holocaust Victims Assets and the decision for the said survivor eligibility is then decided.

"There is not a clear opinion as to which way is better and we will try and then review the magnetic card trial project" said Solly Armon.

Irena Power was transported to Auschwitz at the age of 17. At the time all her family has died in the holocaust. She emigrated to Israel, from Romania, as a widow (her husband died while she was still in Romania) only to lose one of her child to cancer. As soon as arriving to Israel, she asked the German government for compensation but was rejected for lack of documents and received no help in this case. "I was supposed to receive a pension from the German government as I worked for them and the government of Israel did not assist me. It does not matter anymore as I do not have long to live anyway" she sadly said. "The Israeli government pays me a pension, as I arrived to Israel as a pensioner, and I am used to survive and the very little available to me. At my age I do not need much anymore and I do not each much. I buy cheap products. Now I can afford to buy a bit more".

Purim cards were sold like hot Hamentashen

09 March 2009

The Israeli party raised £1000 for Meir Panim

26 February 2009

The N20 Nightclub in Whetstone, played host to Meir Panim’s Israeli party (25.2.09). 100 people attended the event and raised £1000 for Meir Panim’s programmes for Israeli children and families in need.