News

Amidst a frenzy of activity, we have opened our second-hand clothing store. We receive countless requests for financial support to aid families who are unable to afford clothing for themselves and their family. In light if the numerous requests � we accepted a huge lot of donated clothing to try to meet this pressing need.

Next to our soup kitchen in Bucharim, we had a storage room. We cleared out the room, fixed it up, and presto! New store!

The store is currently open from 9:00-1:00, Sunday through Thursday. Items cost between 2-5 shekels (approximately 25 cents-$1.20) making it affordable for all.

Self-respect and dignity are cornerstones of Chasdei Yosef, and therefore we prefer that people �spend� the money for their items rather than accept charity. So far � we haven�t even formally advertised about our store, but we do mention it to all those calling for assistance. Within the first week of being open, due to the cold weather and rain � almost all of the winter coats and scarves have been sold. We are happy to be able to help people provide themselves with the most basic of necessities in a cost-effective and dignified manner.

After 2 weeks of being in the United States, we are back in Israel.

Being at the GA in Los Angeles was an amazing experience for Chasdei Yosef. It was the first time we were ever at a GA, and it was a privilege to have been able to be there and meet so many interesting people doing wonderful things. There was a positive energy in the air and we were charged by it!

After the GA was over, we had some parlor meetings in Beverly Hills, San Jose and Fresno, and a casino night in Berkeley. We would like to thank all those who help organize, attended, and donated to our organization, and in particular: Simone V., Rabbi Noach V., Patricia T., Jim T., and Julie G., as well as Congregations Ahavat Torah and Beit Midrash Ohr Hachaim. We couldn�t have done it without you! Also, we would like to thank� our gracious hosts and hostesses � the Drews, the Dauers, the Vogels, the Gordons, the Fiedlers and the Brandweins.

We hope all of you that we met in the states will continue to keep in touch and let us know when you are coming! We�d love to see you again!

With the arrival of the cold weather comes the arrival of pleas for assistance. Families with no heating in their homes request money for heaters, and blankets, and warm clothing�.. At Chasdei Yosef, we are aware of the suffering that goes on in these homes. We do our best to alleviate it by doing what we know how to do best � grant personal attention to each request, and do our utmost to assist them.

We started a winter campaign called �Bayit Cham� (A Warm Home) through which we ask people to donate 360 shekels (about $85) to cover the cost of a single radiator. Each radiator that we distribute is warming another family�s home. We also distribute winter blankets and special packages of winter clothing - depending on the needs of the family. The applicants for assistance will also be invited to come to our �clothing store�, which will hopefully be ready sometime later this month � offering cost-effective options for people experiencing financial distress.

The festival of lights was celebrated with fun activities and special programs at our children�s program, TALTAL. They had a Hannukah party � with a show that they created themselves, and additional activities for every day of the holiday. There is no school for these children on Hannukah, and we thought it best to offer them a structured place to be, and something exciting to do during this time. The results speak for themselves � nearly all of the children attended the daily sessions and benefited from the caring atmosphere at TALTAL. We received grateful reports from the parents and are happy to be able to offer this important service to them.

Happy Hannukah from Chasdei Yosef!

Chasdei Yosef is participating in the General Assembly of the United Jewish Community for the first time. The GA is being held this year in the Los Angeles Convention Center, and we are running a booth at the exhibition hall with the hope of introducing ourselves to Jewish individuals and organizations across the globe. Come and say hello to us!

There was a time in Israel when having one breadwinner was enough. Together with the relatively low cost of living, and the stipends from the government, one salary was sufficient to put food on the table, afford clothes and shoes, and live simply.

Things have changed.

One salary isn�t enough anymore. Women have joined the workforce.

These women, who previously had been stay-at-home mothers, find themselves stuck in a catch-22: they want to study a profession to find employment with a decent salary, but lack the money for the courses. And therefore � because they have no professional training � they can�t get a decent job.

The results are frustrating. Some women give up, remain at home, and watch their families fall deeper and deeper into debt. Others find jobs that pay so minimally, that the pay doesn�t even justify leaving the house.

Chasdei Yosef has come up with a solution to this problem. In 2006, we opened a professional training center for women where we subsidize roughly 80% of the cost of the course per woman. This enables these women to learn a respectable profession in a pleasant and supportive framework, and contribute significantly to the family�s income. ��

This program is run in conjunction with local welfare branches, the Jerusalem employment division, and MATI. We are fortunate to have hired Mrs. Batsheva Shlomai to direct this program. Mrs. Sholmai, former director of the welfare services in all of northernbv Jerusalem, retired after 30 years of dedicated leadership and has a deep understanding of the needs and desires of the population we serve.

The women who register for our courses have gone through a specialized selection process. Only those who fit very specific criteria are accepted. The majority of the women who enter the program are from families that already being taken care of by the local welfare services.

All courses offered are taught by well-known professionals in their field. We have seen very encouraging results from our graduates, and the number of requests from women wanting to come to learn grows every day.

Clothes and shoes and more! We received a generous donation of a container (1,000 boxes!) of second-hand clothing in excellent condition from the United States.

After sorting all of the things, we will hold a special "sale" where items will be sold at prices ranging from 1 shekel to 3 shekels (between 24 and 70 cents), to allow our customers the dignity of buying their items, as opposed to receiving charity. This will also help defer some of the shipping, handling and labor costs incurred from the shipment.

Anyone who has been to Jerusalem for the holiday of Succot knows that there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. The holiday spirit is present in the air for the week preceeding Succot, and everywhere you look you see people busy with their preparations � building Succot, buying materials, shopping for holiday necessities.

At Chasdei Yosef, we were also busy with our preparations � we erected a 250 square foot succa just outside of our soup kitchen in the Bucharan neighborhood of Jerusalem, and distributed 300,000 shekels (approximately $70,750) of special shopping vouchers to families and individuals in need. Theses vouchers were redeemable at 10 different stores, giving the recipients a wide selection of shopping options.

The High Holy Days have come � most families are busy with their preparations for the holiday � buying new clothing, new shoes and special foods, whereas others are preparing in a very different way: they are asking questions! Instead of �What will we eat for the holiday� � they ask � �Will I eat on the holiday?� �Where will I eat on Rosh Hashana?� �I am all alone, will I spend the meals all by myself, or suffer the shame of eating in a public soup kitchen?�

At Chasdei Yosef, we provide answers to these questions. Every year we have a special festive meal before Rosh Hashana, and when everyone is finished eating, we distribute prepackaged meals for those who live too far away to come to the kitchen on the holiday itself, and for those who live near, the kitchen is open on the holiday and dedicated volunteers come and serve the meals. We do our best� to minimize the shame of eating in a soup kitchen, and turn it into a pleasant experience. Our soup kitchen is much more than that � it is a family. �

This year, there were 170 people at the pre-Rosh Hashana meal. The lonely, elderly and homeless people knew that they had where to turn to. We were also very fortunate to receive a generous donation from Moshav Carmel, Mount Hebron, of 400 kilograms of apples in honor of the New Year. One of the Carmel residents, Mr. Shalom Korsover, brought the apples directly to the soup kitchen and distributed a basket of apples to each person. It was a special added treat for those who could not have afforded to go and buy it themselves.�

During the recent crisis in Israel, thousands of people fled their homes from the northern part of the country. They left their homes and possesions to escape further south, out of harm's way. Yet - upon reaching their 'safe haven' - many people were left with no resources to support themselves and their families.

Aviva M., a 36 year old woman from Haifa, found herself outside Chasdei Yosef's soup kitchen, watching. "Never in my life had I ever dreamed that I would be taking food from a soup kitchen!" she related to me bitterly. "But what could I do? We are staying in a school's dormitory. My husband is suffering from post-traumatic stress after his friend was killed in a rocket attack and I have 5 children to feed. I went inside and asked if there was anything I could bring 'home.' The staff at the soup kitchen was so warm and giving. They gave me 7 packaged meals to take with me and told me to come back every day.

"I don't know what I would have done without you. For a week we had been exsisting on bread and tuna. My children were so happy to have some decent food to eat. When they asked me where I had gotten it, I told them that some kind people were taking care of us and making sure that we have what we need."

Aviva's story is one of many. Hundreds of people who took up emergency residence in the Jerusalem area were able to have hot meals in our soup kitchen. We worked overtime, preparing extra packaged meals for those who need them. This is what Chasdei Yosef is all about - being there when they need us most.