Chamah News

11/23/2022

Chamah Provides Critical Support to Ukrainian Refugees:
As the war in Ukraine continues, a constant stream of refugees continues to arrive in neighboring Moldova, in the capital city, Kishinev. Here, just one hour from the border, Chamah has set up reception facilities at the Sky Land Camping & Resort Complex to serve many arriving families who have just endured an arduous, often dangerous journey.

Hear from the refugees themselves. Watch the video:

05/24/2022

Seniors from the Chamah Cultural Center enjoyed an outing to sites around Moscow.

05/23/2022

Children love to play with Clay, and at the Chamah Center for Child Development we have incorporated clay therapy as a natural method of connection and expression. Prior to Pesach the children crafted beautiful Seder plates.

05/18/2022

~ Passover 2022 activites ~

Large numbers of Ukrainian refugees are arriving in Israel. They come with barely more than the clothes on their backs—mostly elderly or mothers with young children who had to leave their husbands behind—as well as all their possessions—and they need lots of support, both emotional and practical.

The Chamah Community Center in Kiryat Malachi, Israel is helping the refugees begin their lives anew in a new land. They are being provided food, stipends for clothing, and basic household items and furniture to help them get settled in their new homes.

Many dozens of refugees were hosted at our Community Center for the duration of the Passover holiday, where they were provided with sleeping accommodations and festive meals, enabling them to celebrate Passover in the proper holiday spirit. And over five hundred elderly and others in need came to our communal Passover Seder, including many refugees for whom it was the very first Seder of their lives.

Generous food packages were distributed to hundreds of families in the community and to many Ukrainian refugees. The food packages contained chicken, fish, wine, grape juice, oil, eggs, vegetables, fruit and Passover Matzah. In addition, Chamah distributed coupons to be used at stores to purchase other essentials, including clothing, shoes and items for children.

// In Russia //

As the war in Ukraine continues, its ripple effects are being felt by more and more people around the world, including our elderly and impoverished brethren in Moscow.

With their meager pensions, they are barely able to provide themselves with the bare minimum. Essential food prices have gone up 50-200%, and now more than ever, they are depending on Chamah for daily sustenance. Thank G-d, our soup kitchen is fully operational despite the spike in food prices, where we are preparing hundreds and hundreds of fresh nutritious meals every single day. For many it's their only hot, freshly cooked meal of the day. For those who are staying home due to COVID-19 and for the homebound, our five Chamah vans are delivering the life-sustaining daily meals to their doors.

An even more critical development is the recent lack of access to life-saving medication. With the help of our doctors at the Chamah Medical Center, we contacted a drug wholesaler, and were able to avert disaster by procuring the desperately needed medicine through our pharmacy, which provides subsidized medicine to our patients.

// In the United States //

An online portal for families and individuals in need allowed them to place orders for Passover essentials at deeply discounted prices, easing the financial burden for thousands of people and enabling them to celebrate the holiday joy. Items available included fish and meat and many essential household items.

03/16/2022

03/06/2022

Our brethren in Ukraine are in mortal danger. The heroic leaders of the Jewish Communities have not left their people. Bombs are exploding day and night as young families and old people cower in basements of cellars and local synagogues. They are appealing to us for help. We cannot stand idly by.

Money is desperately needed for food, for help to evacuate the elderly, women and children to safer ground. Every dollar you donate will be immediately transferred to Ukraine to help the needy and the hungry.

Please don't delay. Lives depend on your help. Donate here: https://chamah.org/donate

With hope and prayers for peace.


Photo credits:
* https://kmr.gov.ua/uk/content/volodymyr-bondarenko-zaklykav-kyyan-obyednaty-zusyllya-zadlya-dopomogy-spivgromadyanam, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115575464
*
By State Emergency Service of Ukraine - https://www.facebook.com/MNS.GOV.UA/posts/322354696599093, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115597164
*
By Kyivcity.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115566147

02/22/2022

Covid relief in Russia for the homebound elderly

02/22/2022

In March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world, shuttering businesses, schools and organizations. Millions around the globe were forced into isolation. Most affected were the vulnerable elderly, who were afraid to venture out even for basic necessities.

Common sense dictated closing the Chamah Soup Kitchen in Moscow, where the needy members of the Jewish community spent their day in company of their friends and ate their only hot meal of the day. But despite the grave danger of keeping our facility open, we knew we could not let them go hungry—or G-d forbid—worse. We greatly expanded our Meals-on-Wheels Program, and for the past 23 months our five Chamah vans have been delivering fresh nutritious meals daily to the homes of hundreds of our vulnerable seniors, making sure the food arrived fresh and in a timely manner.

But these constant trips took their toll on our old Chamah vans. Three of them were beyond repair. Where would we get the money? Our budget was already strained to the limit due to the high cost of our emergency measures.

And then, Rabbi Hillel Zaltzman, President of Chamah, spoke to Michael Rolnick, his good friend and longtime supporter, and told him of our predicament. Michael agreed to donate a brand new van. When Michael watched the video of his van loaded with food making deliveries to the homes of the grateful elderly recipients, he was so moved, he donated a second van!

Sadly, the pandemic is still raging in Moscow and our elderly brethren remain in isolation. Another generous donor followed Michael’s lead and donated a third van! Now our Chamah vans are hard at work every day, bringing nutritious food and a bit of sunshine into their lonely lives, ensuring that they don’t go hungry and letting them know they have not been forgotten.

>> Support our cause: chamah.org/donate

02/13/2022

Rabbi Eckstein at the opening ceremony of the new Chamah medical center in Russia and his remarks for our Annual Gala Dinner a few years back.

Chamah joins millions around the world in mourning the tragic untimely passing of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the dynamic Founder & President of IFCJ.Rabbi Eckst...

02/11/2022

~ Remembering Rabbi Eckstein ~

This past week we mark three years since the passing of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein of blessed memory, a giant of a man in stature and deed, a gentle and compassionate man, who well earned his place as one of the foremost Jewish leaders of our times. He achieved what was deemed impossible: building a bridge of tolerance between Christian and Jews, which resulted in the well-being and security for many Jews in Israel. With his vision, his wisdom and his altruism he sustained millions with his life-saving programs the world over.

While others shook their heads in despair, Yechiel Eckstein, an ordained Orthodox Rabbi, took action: he saved thousands of lives by building life-saving portable bomb shelters for Jews under attack in Israel, airlifting nearly a million Ukrainian Jews to Israel, re-settling and sustaining them, and the list goes on and on.

Twenty one years ago he took a personal interest in the humanitarian work of Chamah, and became a major supporter of our programs for the needy and elderly in Russia. He founded the Chamah Medical & Rehabilitation Center in Moscow—named the Fellowship House—and dedicated, together with his brother Berel, a Torah Scroll in loving memory of their father, Simon, OBM which he donated to the Chamah Synagogue in Moscow. He was Guest of Honor at many of the Chamah Gala's, encouraging the guests with his passion for humanitarian work and delighting us with singing for us some songs on his guitar.

Throughout their years of working together, Rabbi Hillel Zaltzman, President of Chamah, forged a warm, personal friendship with Rabbi Eckstein. “A great tragedy has befallen Am Yisrael,” Rabbi Zaltzman said, “and I feel like I have lost my best friend.”

Rabbi Eckstein’s greatest pride and joy was his family. His daughters, Yael, Tamar and Talia and his eight grandchildren.

There is surely a special place in Gan Eden for one who saved millions of lives and dedicated his life to sustaining the needy and forgotten of Am Yisrael.

יהי זכרו ברכה ~ May his memory be a blessing for us all

01/26/2022

Children at the Chamah "Esther Center" in Moscow learn about the holiday celebrate the holiday of Tu Bishvat. Another name for the holiday is Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot, meaning 'New Year of the Trees'. This day marks the beginning period when the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. In contemporary Israel, the day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day, and trees are planted in celebration.

10/13/2021

Care packages in Russia for the elderly and disabled
Partner with us in this great mitzvah of supporting our less-fortunate brethren during these difficult times. Please consider supporting our relief efforts by making a donation >> https://chamah.org/donate