A Shortage of Meals Every Day
By Christians for Israel International.. It’s nice and warm inside, and the air is filled with the aroma of freshly made food. “Try it yourself,” Benjamin says enthusiastically. “This is the menu for today.” Benjamin helps himself to a plate of food as well. “Poverty in Israel has permeated society,” shares Benjamin Philip, director of the Hineni Centre in Jerusalem. “There’s an older lady who comes here with her grandson.
Her daughter works during the day, so she looks after the boy. No matter how hard her daughter works, she doesn’t make enough money to pay for a good meal. She might make just enough to pay the rent. Because grandma can look after her son, the daughter can work, and hopefully, will prevent the little boy from ending up in poverty in the future. I can go on forever telling these kinds of stories. All the people you see here, all have their own story. None of them chooses to live in poverty, but it does happen. You can’t just stand by and watch. If I can help people with a meal, I will.”
Benjamin Philip, director of Hineni
But by giving them just a meal, people still remain poor. “Maybe, but you can’t abandon them to their fate. The first thing you have to do is give them food. Plus, with Hineni, I hope to give a little more.” What do you mean? “It’s not just about the meals. We make sure that visitors feel welcome, we talk to them, and we listen. We make sure the dining room looks welcoming, and we provide meals that could be served in a restaurant.” Why? “We’re talking about people. You have to treat people with respect. It should never be that, just because they have no money, we allow the dining room to be a mess or the food to be crummy. You should treat them the same way you would want to be treated yourself.” You say that with conviction. “Yes, it’s a command. Just look in the Bible. I believe in the Bible, and I let it lead me.”
A Privilege to Help
Hunger in Israel? Isn’t that the land of ‘milk and honey’? True, but Israel is also a modern state with huge differences between rich and poor. The government tries to solve this but is behind the times. That’s why it’s so important to support the work of the Hineni Center, that wants to give so many poor, elderly and children a hot meal every day. What a privilege to be able to help!
Pim van der Hoff, Christians for Israel International
