Dear Friends,

Thank you for your generous gift and for helping us provide grocery vouchers to hundreds of families across Israel for Rosh Hashanah.

Every time we prepare for Operation Hesed, I am reminded that behind every grocery voucher is a person and a family. We may not know everything they are facing, but we know that for many families in Israel, the past few years have brought war, loss, displacement, financial difficulties, and many other challenges. For some, preparing a holiday meal for their family is simply more than they can afford.

This year, as we prepared to distribute the Rosh Hashanah vouchers, there was one young man whom I especially remembered; his name was David. Shortly before October 7, 2023, David, a young Israeli soldier, received one of our grocery vouchers. He never had the opportunity to bring it home to his family. David was killed on October 7 while defending Israel. Since then, his story has stayed with us. This year, we decided to give every Rosh Hashanah grocery voucher through Operation Hesed in his memory.

There is something very meaningful to me about remembering David in this way. The voucher he received never made it home, but through his memory, hundreds of vouchers have now made their way into the homes of families across Israel. Families were able to purchase food, prepare their holiday meals, and welcome the Jewish New Year knowing that someone was thinking about them and cared about what they were facing.

Recently, we received a message from one of those families: “Dear Hope for Israel, thank you very much for the voucher you gave me for the holiday. It helped me during this time of the holidays. May you always continue to give. Happy New Year.”

It is a simple message, but it reminded me again why Operation Hesed is so important. We cannot solve every difficulty these families are facing, but we can be there for them. We can help put food on their tables, remind them that they have not been forgotten, and through a simple act of love and compassion, bring the love and light of the Messiah into their lives in a practical way.

Your partnership makes this possible. You may never meet the families who received these vouchers, but your generosity entered their homes this Rosh Hashanah and helped provide for a very practical need. On behalf of all of us at Hope for Israel, and on behalf of the hundreds of Israeli families who received help through Operation Hesed, thank you for your prayers, your generosity, and your faithful partnership.

With gratitude,

Moran Rosenblit
Founder and Executive Director
Hope for Israel