Lifeline for Israel’s Needy

Another day at the Jerusalem Assistance Center, another day of deliveries. My co-workers and I loaded the van with two pallets of food and then were on the road, navigating the busy streets of Jerusalem. Our first stop is just around the corner from the Shuk Machane Yehuda, a very busy open-air market. Waiting for us is a group of elderly men and women who are with the Association for Radioactive Victims (Immigrants suffering from the effects of Chernobyl). We open up the back of the van to unload the bags of food, lining them up on a stone wall. We have a little time to interact with the recipients as their director checks off who is receiving the much-appreciated bags of food. We exchange smiles, handshakes, and a few hugs while hearing many “Spasibo,” or thank you, from those gathered. Then its back in the van to deliver a pallet of bulk food to a woman named Shoshanna. To look at her, she is very short, but you have to wonder at her giant heart. I met her in 2016, when I first volunteered with Bridges for a summer. At that time, she had already been serving her community for many years. She is a bit tired these days, but the love she has to serve others is still burning bright. Since we had a new volunteer with us, she invited us into her home to look at some pictures on the wall and to hear stories of some of her past projects. This remarkable woman has been very busy throughout the years. These are just two organizations and the type of people that Bridges partners with.  Just two of the many that I have the privilege to bless with deliveries of food. Just two that, in return, bless me with amazing stories and hugs that are even more amazing. Shoshanna has received food from Bridges for many years, and every time I help deliver the food, I am greeted with the same thankful heart and lots of hugs and kisses. The team and I always walk away with freshly baked cakes and herbs picked from her beautiful garden. Today it was Yemeni Basil. It is a blessing to have these amazing opportunities through the work of the Food Bank of Bridges for Peace.

This month we had a group from France who visited Bridges for Peace (BFP) and volunteered at the food bank to serve and pack as many bags as possible. They were active and full of life, love, and joy. In a wonderful coincidence, they came to volunteer the day before BFP supported with an air flight of 60 Jews from France who were making Aliyah. This year for the Feast of Trumpets–Rosh Hashanah, BFP is giving 1500 food bags to Holocaust survivors in Karmiel and Jerusalem.  The group of volunteers from France packed over 900 of these bags. This was an answer to prayer, as God knew we needed extra helping hands. After packing, we prayed over the food bags that they will bring hope and comfort to the Holocaust survivors and God's people. Recalling previous years, more than one beneficiary started crying when they received the food because they did not have enough for the holidays.  May BFP always have the privilege of packing and delivering much needed food in the communities and to give light and hope for a new and sweet year. Feedback from the group:   The French-Swiss volunteer group of 15 had the pleasure of serving with the BFP team for one day. The team packed 962 parcels for different groups in Jerusalem. It was a rich and intense day. What a blessing to support in a concrete and visible way that makes a difference in the lives of the men, women, and children who will receive these parcels. A quick note: This one day at Bridges for Peace was the first of our 10 days volunteering in Israel. We had the opportunity to make other packages during our trip, and we can say that Bridges for Peace trained us well.  We were equipped to be efficient and organized. Thank you for sharing Bridges for Peace's heartbeat.   Doris

Dear Bridges for Peace, In loving memory of my parents, I have founded this organization, Beit Oded and Mazal, to fulfill a personal mission: to bring care, nourishment, and companionship to those who need it most. We are a dedicated group of volunteers who provide support to the elderly individuals, people with disabilities, Holocaust survivors, and others living alone or in difficult circumstances. Our assistance includes delivering hot meals and essential groceries such as oil, sugar, rice, pasta, and other basic needs. In addition to providing food, we regularly visit the people we support, not only to ensure their well-being, but also to share time, conversation, and kindness. Human connection is just as important as a full fridge. The joy, comfort, and gratitude we see in the faces of those we help bring us true fulfillment and purpose. Knowing they are cared for and never forgotten is our greatest reward. Finally, thank you greatly for your support, generosity, and compassion. Your help enables us to continue this meaningful mission, and for that, we are truly grateful! With appreciation, Daniel Kohavi Director and founder Daniel is a very humble man. He and his wife always invite us to their house for lunch when we do deliveries. Always asking why we leave our countries and family to come volunteer in Israel. They so appreciate Bridges for Peace and Christians around the world standing with them.

Beit Gil is a day center for individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities, offering nursing care, therapeutic services, and rehabilitation for those who require moderate to extensive support in their daily activities. It is operated by AKIM in Karmiel and was inaugurated in September 2013. Beit Gil serves as a regional, multinational center for people over the age of 21 who are defined as having disabilities with a therapeutic/nursing orientation, some with behavioral complexities, and various levels of disabilities. The service is provided to residents of Karmiel and nearby communities five days a week from 08:00 to 18:00. We aim to create a welcoming environment for these adults and their families, offering various enriching social and recreational activities. Our main goal at Beit Gil is to enhance each person's personal and adaptive skills, helping them achieve greater functional efficiency in all aspects of their lives. We also strive to help them realize and fulfill their potential, recognizing the importance of improving their quality of life. Beit Gil hosts 63 people daily who enjoy programs aimed at their well-being, tailored to their needs and often to their wishes. The framework is managed by a director, social worker, health professionals (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, and nurse), and experienced, skilled, warm-hearted instructors. The main programs held daily include: Therapeutic employment, including ceramics and jobs in the art room (paper Mach, weaving, gardening, sports, carpentry, mosaics, dance, and more).  These workshops are accompanied by the professional staff. Each person at Beit Gil has one or more personal programs tailored to their needs, developed with them and their families. We cook 80 meals every day and transfer the dry food received from Bridges for Peace donations to CARMI Gil, a vocational center in Karmiel, also operated by AKIM, is intended for people with high-functioning individuals who engage in employment. Thanks to the support of Bridges for Peace, we provide fresh, hot, and quality lunches and ensures the nutrition of 180 people in Karmiel. Thank you very much for your help and generosity.     Ayelet Bartov, Beit Gil, Akim, Karmiel

Since coming and even before starting to serve here in Israel and at Bridges for Peace, Ilse and I found ourselves in a very blessed position. With leaving everything behind, dogs, family, and friends, but also all our belongings, furniture, bedding, cutlery, etc. behind that we have collected over the years and paid off over the years. We left with only our suitcases, coming to a foreign land, not having an apartment yet, and it was to say a bit unsettling.  Nevertheless, Father said come, and He will provide. Within a month, we had an apartment and furniture, blessed with abundance from Father. This brought me to when I saw a post on Facebook of lone soldiers, finishing their Yeshiva (boys Torah school) year, who needed furniture for their apartment. Sixteen of the Young men are moving into a communal apartment, most of them from the United States of America and the United Kingdom.  I jumped to the opportunity to check if we at Bridges have extra furniture from our old apartments to donate, and to check our apartment if we have some items we can donate that we do not use often enough. I gathered some chairs, desks, tables, and shelves for these lone soldiers from both places. The most blessed part of this day of moving around furniture was the opportunity that presented itself from two young men to ask about Bridges and Christianity. I shared what we at Bridges do, how we build (repair) relationships between Christians and Jews, which led them to ask more questions about Christianity. How do we pray, do we have a particular Liturgy of prayer, why do I stand with Israel and the Jewish nation, what called me to Israel? I could share my personal experience with them and see the awe on their faces, and they thanked me at the end of doing what we do. Indeed a blessed project, a blessed time to share Abba's heart and love towards the Jewish nation.

Roza is the happiest 103-year-old Holocaust Survivor we know. She loves to visit with us every month when we drop off her bag of food at her tiny apartment. The heat of the day comes in through her window, right to her bed. Her curtains didn't keep the heat out as much as she wanted. She needed help, and we were there with willing hands. She called us angels as we hung up a sunshade over the window. She smiled and clapped, so thrilled over the simplest of tasks, but to her, it wasn't simple. There was no way this little lady could have reached high enough to hang up the shade. The Bridges for Peace team is so grateful to be able to give more than food. With the visits, we are able to check in on our elderly Holocaust survivors to see that they are okay and have what they need, and it brings them socialization. Roza knows she is cared for and is not forgotten.

This year in March, Bridges for Peace (BFP) distributed 3,210 parcels of matzah and grape juice in Karmiel and to several organizations throughout Israel. Over the course of several weeks, we prepared another 1,836 parcels of matzah and grape juice which were delivered to Jewish organizations, and to Holocaust survivors in partnership with the Jerusalem Holocaust Association.  In addition to the grape juice and matzah, BFP was also able to provide an additional 1,657 bags of non-perishable food items to Holocaust survivors. A large team of BFP long-term and short-term volunteers made sure that the thousands of parcels were bagged and delivered before the beginning Passover, blessing many Israelis as they prepared for God’s appointed time. Because they had so little, the recipients were overwhelmed with thankfulness and such happiness to receive these food parcels. It was such a privilege to be part of this project, to hear stories and to have fun together. Two groups of volunteers visiting from other countries, joined for the deliveries and one said, “No words can explain the amazing, heartfelt experience I had”  

Shaindel is a survivor in every sense of the word. Born in Satmar, Hungary to a Satmar Hassidic family, Shaindel spent a year in the ghetto before boarding a train to Auschwitz with her older and younger sister, mother aunt and cousins. Her father had already been sent to Siberia earlier. Shaindel was three and a half years old when her Auschwitz ordeal began. Upon disembarking from the train, Shaindel’s aunt took her baby sister along with her own children, and they were immediately sent to the gas chambers. A man told her mother to say that Shaindel and her sister, who was a year older than her, were twins. When she turned around to ask him why, there was no one in sight. She obeyed this advice, however, believing that an angel had interceded on their behalf. As a result, Shaindel and her sister were sent to Dr. Mengel’s laboratory. Her mother was assigned to kitchen duty and she would literally crawl in the dirt to their bunk to sneak them whatever crumbs or potato peels she could find. For the entire year, blood was drawn from Shaindel’s frail arm daily. The lab technicians told Mengele that while they were sisters, they were not twins, but Dr. Mengel begged to differ and kept them in the twins’ area for future experimentation. As the war was reaching an end, before he had a chance to experiment on them, Mengele ushered all those who remained alive into the gas chambers. After fifteen minutes the doors reopened, Mengele appeared, and barked that there was a malfunction so the gas didn’t spew out that time, but the end is near as it is only a matter of minutes before the problem would be fixed. The doors were closed again. At that exact moment Russian bomber planes flew overhead causing all the Nazis to flee, and those who were sentenced to death were freed. Shaindel, her mother and sister had miraculously survived Auschwitz. After the war, Shaindel’s mother, an accomplished seamstress, gathered all of the orphan girls and single-handedly brought them back to life and prepared them for living. With limitless love and warmth, she taught them to sew; she taught them about faith and Judaism; she gave them a new life. The family didn’t know if their father had survived in Siberia but transports did occasionally return from that area. They always asked those who came back if they knew about his whereabouts, and they were informed that he was on his way. Imagine the shock when a clean shaven, Russian soldier entered their home and presented himself as their father. Over time, Shaindel’s mom’s love and support helped him to return to his roots as well, and he ultimately served as the spiritual advisor in the orphaned girls’ institution. Shaindel eventually married, and had eleven children. One of her sons drowned when he was eighteen years old. She is now the matriarchal head of a five-generation family whose numbers she has lost track of. As a true survivor, she proudly points out that this is her revenge on Hitler. Referred by Welfare Services, the eighty-year-old Shaindel Deutsch came to DVI accompanied by her daughter. Her original dentures are old and broken and she is in desperate new of new ones which she will be getting shortly. She had resigned herself to living with the pain and difficulty in eating because she could not afford a new set of dentures and was delighted to learn from her social worker that the free dentures program in DVI exists. Mrs. Deutsch and her daughter could not adequately express their appreciation and gratitude and repeatedly told us how ‘they feel the warm embrace of all those who work here – what a blessing!”

Story from the House of Light: "He had scattered abroad, He gave to the poor; His righteousness remains forever” 2Cor 9:9 We at House of Light (HOL) give thanks to our Lord who gave you the calling, the obedience, the power, and the resources to do the very special, blessed ministry and has walked with you and is still walking before you all these days. The Bridges for Peace ministry fills many families with joy, satisfaction, and gratitude to “THE ONE” who gives food for the birds and who cares for all HIS creation. Jesus, who has chosen and appointed you for this mission to stand alongside these families and to give them hope. One of the many stories of people we work with at HOL is “E.”  “E” is a woman who was born with some disabilities and she could not work all her life.  Despite the advice she received from people who love her, she still insisted on getting married to her husband. She discovered how abusive he was and suffered a lot. It wasn’t until she had three children that she decided she couldn’t continue living this way any longer. Their daughter was already 15, and their sons were 13 and 10.  Now, after three years of being separated and the children living with their Mom, the middle son chose to abandon his mom and siblings and go live with his father, where he could live the way he liked with no control. Ever since, House of Light has been following up with E’s family, spiritually, physically, financially, and socially.  The family members are more than happy receiving the food you send to the HOL.  We distribute it every month, together with some meat, to 25 families. E’s family is feeling much better, having the food and being dependent on the Lord and on what He sends them. They are so grateful, and they love to say that they appreciate you and what you do for them, like so many in our area and everywhere all around Israel. One in HIS love and service,  House of Light

Will you join us? Let’s partner together to restore hope to communities that have had it stolen Zohar: We have transformed what was once a place people sought refuge from out of fear into a sanctuary for healing and hope. From fear to hope—that is the transformation we pray for. Our vision is to make this village a beacon of restoration, healing, and safety, where people can come together to rebuild their lives.  Thanks to the generous contribution of a donor to our crisis fund, our home repair team had the opportunity to partner with the village of Zohar, located 140 km south of Jerusalem, near Gaza and the Egyptian border. There, we converted a community bomb shelter into a vibrant community center for the youth of Zohar.  When I asked Efat, who oversees the community space and youth programs, what it meant to her that we were coming to support this project, she shared, “After October 7, we’ve been merely surviving. There’s no ‘extra.’ We’re only doing what we need to survive. For you to come and offer even a little help—just a little—makes it possible for us to do more than just survive. It allows us to live.”  One of the teenagers, when asked what this new space meant to her, said that for the past five years, there had been no place for young adults to gather or engage in programs. Having this space—a place to relax, have fun, and simply enjoy themselves—has restored their sense of hope. This is what Bridges for Peace is all about—bringing hope where it was taken, and replacing sorrow with joy. This is us. This is you.

Grace and peace to you, I am Yeshiwas, 43 years old, Ethiopian Jewish living in Israel Jerusalem I made Aliyah from Ethiopia to Israel 20 years ago. I am married and a father of 4 children, we (me and my wife Tehila) have been doing Marriage counseling according to scriptures for our community. Most of the women in our community are single mothers. Most of the people are shy about having their picture taken, but everyone said thank you very much. The need is big, but Bridges for Peace is filling up the gap and we have no way to say thank you.

Kiryat Gat is named for Gath. In Hebrew, "Gat" means "wine press." The city hosts one of the world's most advancedsemiconductor fabrication plants, Intel's Fab 28 plant producing technology chips. Its residents are mostly Jewish immigrants from North Africa, and Ethiopia. Avraham came to Israel in 1991 via Operation Shlomo with his four Children and his wife.  From 1991 he lived in Kiryat Gat. He started to support elderly people and single parents with the help of Bridges for Peace. He was given the use of a bomb shelter from Kiryat Gat’s Municipality, and started using it for afternoon care of the community's children, hosting holiday events and programs for the elderly. This shelter also distributes 48 food parcels to families in need that Bridges for Peace delivers monthly. The roof of the bomb shelter was leaking and it looked terrible, so Bridges for Peace helped to renovate this bomb shelter and fix the leaks.  Now they have a clean, safe environment to work in and have community activities.

Shalom, This is Clara. She has the most contagious smile and undeniable light in her eyes. Despite the evil she’s experienced, she holds the belief that there is good inside every person. She loves people so well, and says her love comes from Elohim. She does not dwell on the awful memories from her life, but instead, shares the good. She was number one on her volleyball team, she became an engineer and headed a project to build a dam. She has pictures from all of these moments along with photos of friends she hasn’t forgotten. It takes a special kind of strength to choose to remember the good, and she has it. Such an inspiration! Clara is visited every month by a team of volunteers from Bridges for Peace and she receives her monthly food parcel and a birthday gift.

This month James and Jonah had the privilege and honor to paint an apartment for Dimitri Yakirevich, a holocaust survivor. Not only were we able to increase his quality of life with a fresh coat of paint, but James and Jonah were able to sit and have lunch, chicken wing soup, that was prepared by Dimitri himself. What a joy it is to be able to give practical help, hugs and laughter to those who have gone through so much. Well done James and Jonah for the care you have shown Dimitri. Matthew 25:37-40 – “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

  Kashuela Farm is in Gush Etzion, Surrounded by enchanting eucalyptus and pine trees in the heart of the forest, an agricultural farm              Sheep-herding, bread-making and cheese-making workshops for families and groups.                 The farm is run by the Ben David Family. They live in a forest that the fire department says was the most torched forest in Israel.                     The Arab neighbors aren't keen on having Jews living there.                       The person that runs the farm, Yair Ben David was injured at the farm in a terror attack and relies heavily on volunteers.                       The food goes to the volunteers and soldiers who help protect that area.

I am Danil S. K., born in Kharkov, Ukraine in 1936. My mother, Sarah, was the youngest of 13 children in her religious family. My father's name was Semyon K. My father was arrested in 1938 and shot in the same year. He was accused of passing data to Polish intelligence. The war began in 1941. My mom and I were running. We rode on platforms from the Germans and arrived in Kazakhstan. At that time, we did not know where my father was, as the NKVD (the interior ministry of the Soviet Union) was hiding what had happened to him. We were very well received by the Russian family in Kazakhstan, with whom we lived. Mom was working at the time, so I wasn't hungry. On August 23, 1943, Kharkov was liberated. My mother and I went there via Moscow. She left me sitting in Moscow at the Kursk railway station, and she ran to the NKVD to find out what was wrong with my father. At the time, she didn't find anything. In 1961, I got married and continued to study at a technical school. Then my two sons were born. My youngest son, Stanislav, now lives in Israel. He worked at the hospital for 30 years. Now he is a teacher. My eldest son, Vadim, is living in Ukraine. In 1991, my youngest son moved to Israel at the age of 19, on the recommendation of a doctor in Kharkov. He had diabetes, and he was advised to go to Israel so that he could be cured here. That's what happened, but he also contributed here too. We came to Israel after him, in 2000. For 22 years I was a volunteer at Yad LaKashish. I brought new ideas and I was very well liked there. I am the announcer of a radio station in Netanya. Five countries of the world are listening to me I am eternally grateful to Bridges for Peace, for your work, for your participation, for your attitude.

Kiryat Gat is named for Gath. In Hebrew, "Gat" means "wine press." The city hosts one of the world's most advanced semiconductor fabrication plants, Intel's Fab 28 plant producing technology chips. Its residents are mostly Jewish immigrants from North Africa, and Ethiopia. Avraham came to Israel in 1991 via Operation Shlomo with his four Children and his wife. From 1991 he lived in Kiryat Gat. He started to support elderly people and single parents with the help of Bridges for Peace. He was given the use of a bomb shelter from Kiryat Gat’s Municipality, and started using it for afternoon care of the community's children, hosting holiday events and programs for the elderly. This shelter also distributes 48 food parcels to families in need that Bridges for Peace delivers monthly. The roof of the bomb shelter was leaking and it looked terrible, so Bridges for Peace helped to renovate this bomb shelter and fix the leaks. Now they have a clean, safe environment to work in and have community activities. Thank you for your support.

Yesud HaMaala is a moshava and local council in Northern Israel. The moshava was the first modern Jewish community in the Hula Valley. The community, built in 1883, was one of a series of agricultural settlements established during the First Aliyah. Arik and Hani were part of this from the start and are looking after a community of elderly, widows, and everyone in need, with Bridges for Peace's contribution. Arik has also not been well for the last couple of years, but that does not stop them from doing good to their neighbors in need. Arik has a healthcare worker looking after him. The letter below is from their hearts. Dear Bridges For Peace family, A routine morning in Yesod HaMa’ala, in the Finger of Galilee. Preparing supplies for families in need. For many years, we have been carrying out this sacred work—day and night, summer and winter, in times of peace and war—under relentless rocket fire and during calmer periods. All in the name of your contribution to peace, unity, and mutual responsibility. We are your emissaries for every family in need, —say Amen. Hani & Arik Lubovsky Yesod HaMa’ala Upper Galilee

We were privileged to be able to provide maintenance to Sde Bar Ranch by trimming back all the thick weeds that grow in the pomegranate orchard, which was provided and planted by Bridge for Peace and its donors. Sde Bar Ranch is a home for boys at risk that helps them heal and grow. It is run by a non-profit organization (NGO). The ranch was started in 1998 and covers 25 acres. It offers a special kind of support that helps the boys feel safe again and learn to trust themselves and others, so they can become active and positive members of society. Besides therapy and schooling, the ranch also uses a peer-based system where the boys help make decisions together. They take part in hands-on activities like farming and horseback riding, and also enjoy music and sports. Unlike many other places, the ranch allows the boys to stay even after they turn 18. It is an honor and a blessing to partner with Sde Bar Ranch and the work they do with the at risk boys.

The Bridges for Peace Home Repair Team is completing working on an exciting project with an Ethiopian community here in Israel. In collaboration with the local leaders, we are bringing long-term sustainability to the community through agriculture and farming initiatives. Our team installed fencing and repurposed a shipping container to create a quail habitat. This space includes an incubator and an outdoor, fenced area for the quail to roam freely while being protected from predators. The quail will not only provide eggs for sale, but will also be raised for resale, creating an additional source of income for the community. We envision this project as a model for future sustainability efforts, one that can be replicated in other communities to empower and uplift them for the long term.

Here is a thank you letter from Ruut who we helped with Ikea furniture purchase, delivery and installation in moshav Roi. “The words will not be enough to thank you for all your care and love you have poured to the little Roi moshav at Jordan valley. I have been hosting refugees since October 15 in 2023 and the need is ongoing. At the moment, additionally to the "ordinary" refugees, I am also hosting my daughter´s family from the northern border of Israel. She, her husband and my little 3 month old grandchild came to Roi at the end of September and they are staying in my home when the other families stay in guest houses. I have a family with grandma and a soldier girl from Safed staying in one of the guest houses and Ayelet from the very north, from Kfar Giladi. Ayelet has stayed at my place since January 2024 and the family from Safed came for the first time in August and returned in September and has stayed since. I still have some more room and am negotiating with some new families at the moment for the possibility for them to come as well. Over 35 families have stayed at my place since the beginning of the war. I am so thankful for all your help as the families continue to come and I have been lacking some furniture and am so thankful as now the work is easier and the guests are happier as they can accommodate comfortably in proper beds etc.” Ruut from Sarigim charity

All happened so quickly. Friday was quiet and peaceful, and the next day was war. We at Bridges for Peace had the privilege of assisting affected communities from the start by giving food and bags of supplies. Every day, Abba ensured we had enough hands and feet to do the work. I call it prayers answered that I did not even pray. I have many stories that I can share with you, but this one is near my heart  I received a request from a group that wanted to accompany us on deliveries to Holocaust deliveries in November, and I had food on my shelves that I wanted to hand out. So I prayed about it and Abba said to make special baskets for the group to deliver to the Holocaust survivors. We did not waste time and did it in the month of September. So in October when it was time to deliver food to the holocaust survivors, I decided to hand these special baskets out because I needed space for all the supplies for the war  The faces of these precious people were priceless. They were so thankful because they were so afraid and stayed in apartments, not going out to get anything because of this war. And to see Christians—young and old here in Israel—coming to visit them in a time like this really touched their hearts. I can only honor my Lord for having every detail in His hand, directing our feet and hands.  Maria, Food Bank manager.

COVID is finally lighting up here in Israel, and the request for help is coming in to go back in the communities to help, AND we have a team, and extra volunteers helping, Praise God for opening up borders and these opportunities to bless Israel once again to repair relationships. The Knutsen couple is a elderly couple that made Aliyah in 1996 from the United States. Now in their silver years they are not as active anymore, and struggle to reach high places, and so the request came to us to help paint their apartment out. As we walked in, we could see it was more than a while since it had got a good painting, ceilings had black marks on, patchwork hadn't been painted, the apartment was just a bit run down. And as they only rent, when asked why their landlord does not help, shoulders went up and answered, as we used to: “The Landlord does not want to spend funds, it is still livable.” Thus we were more to get some volunteers together to bless this couple with a whole new paint coat of the whole apartment, and as BRidges for PEace, we go the extra mile, to let the jewish nation know they are loved, and we are here to stand with the nation of Israel. I saw wires and cables hanging loose on the walls, and in some areas hazardous to trip over. Als the light switches and sockets were all broken and old. Light fixtures were dangling loosely, so we stepped in, and changed all their switches and the main light fixtures. We took trunking to neat up the cabling situation. Joan & Eric were so surprised, and without words, when they saw we are here to help, with no need for thanks or payment, just to serve and make their little apartment feel safe, clean and a bit new.   It was a privilege to share this opportunity with some of our great volunteers from Canada, Japan and America. The Zealous team members could get a feel of how we as Christians serve the Jewish people practically in the community.