Food parcels for Pesach

Sunset Saturday April 12 next marks the start of Pesach, the Jewish Feast that commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. It is customary that in the weeks preceding Pesach numerous organizations hand out food parcels to vulnerable people in Israel, like Holocaust survivors and immigrants.

First Pesach in Israel
Pesach is also known as the Feast of Liberation. This Feast firstly commemorates the liberation from Egypt, but at the same time we believe that God also today, in 2025, liberates us from difficulties, setbacks and hindrances in our personal lives. For many thousands of Jewish immigrants this will be their first Pesach that they will celebrate in Israel after their exodus from the Diaspora. Many of them arrived in Israel with no more than a few suitcases with clothes.

“Many of the Jewish immigrants arrived in Israel with no more than a few suitcases with clothes”

Ukrainian Jews
Maybe you remember Rabbi Mendel Cohen from Mariupol, Ukraine, who had to leave everything behind when the war broke out and the full extent of the war became apparent. After years of hard labour he had built a lively Jewish community in this city. All of this literally went up in smoke when Mariupol was completely bombed flat in February 2022. As far as possible we assisted in evacuating the Jews, of whom most left for Israel. In Israel Rabbi Mendel Cohen didn’t sit on his hands either. He founded an organization named “I Shall Gather Them” pointing at Jeremiah 31:8 where it says: “See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.” With this organization Cohen remains committed to the Jews in Israel who made aliyah.

Below a number of photographs showing the preparation and handing out of food parcels. The text continuous underneath the photos.

“Together with various other organizations we hand out Pesach food parcels this year as well to the vulnerable in Israel”

Moving responses
Together with various organizations like the organization of Rabbi Mendel Cohen, Hineni, the Jaffa Institute and Chasdei Naomi, we hand out Pesach food parcels this year as well to the vulnerable in Israel. Last year we received moving responses from people. Soshana, an elderly woman, said for example: “We are so happy, you even gave us a whole sack of Japanese medlars.” And Hodaya, a mother of twelve told us: “I don’t know whether the children are more enthusiastic about the food parcels or your visit. They really like to ask you questions and examine the food parcel.”

With your help we hope to hand out 5,000 Pesach food parcels this year. One food parcel costs € 35,- or US $ 38,-. Would you like to help? Your contribution, large or small really makes a difference! Please donate via one of the following buttons.

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