Finding Their Place Far from Home

The October 7 massacre prompted the displacement of more than 150,000 Israelis from the country’s south and north, including an estimated 2,000 seniors from the Israel Envelope. They are currently living in hotels along the Dead Sea, isolated from the rest of the country and often from their community members.  

Immediately after her evacuation, Malka, 77, spent her time glued to the news, as there was not much else to do. Speaking with Jewish National Fund-USA affiliates on the ground, however, she realized she could contribute. She began crocheting hats, sweaters, and hoods for IDF soldiers in preparation for the changing weather and making dolls for evacuated children whose toys had been left behind. 

“It made me feel significant that I can do things for others too, like everyone else right now in Israel,” said Malka, who fled her home in Sderot.  

The events of October 7 also forced 69-year-old Nissim to evacuate from Kiryat Shmona. Upon arrival at her new, temporary home, she felt alone, spending her time worrying about her grandchildren in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). But after she joined one of the Jewish National Fund-USA affiliate senior groups, she began assembling packages for IDF soldiers. Ultimately, volunteering provided a little respite from the darkness.  

“We’re like a youth movement for adults,” Nissim said. “And we all speak the same language of volunteering and doing for others.”