Friendship From Germany

A brilliant initiative is spreading love from Germany to Israel. Holocaust Survivors in Israel are paired up with sponsors in Germany who want to help heal the darkness of the past. The Survivors receive regular letters and messages and gift parcels from Germany - helping to repair the past with love.

“Even in the midst of the war, non stop mail, messages and emails for Victims of the Holocaust nationwide, thanks to the kindness of German sponsors, who are expressing their love and support to the survivors, with whom they are connected through the Sponsorship Program, in these difficult times.” - Helping Hand Coalition (HHC)

Seb from HHC met with Ilyas, his wife Neliah and Svetlana who are part of the German friends Sponsorship Program. They are World War II refugees and now, for the second time in their lives, also refugees of the current war in Israel. Ilyas and Neliah’s tiny apartment in Sderot is located 150 metres away from the police station that was assaulted and destroyed by Hamas forces at the beginning of the ongoing war. They had to hide, terrified for 8 hours.

After the October attack, for security reasons, they were evacuated by the Israeli army, although they did not want to leave their home. Thankfully, they are very well taken care of and have been placed together with many more residents of Sderot in Tel Aviv, where they are provided a free stay along with 3 meals a day.

28,000 residents have been evacuated from Sderot, with only around 6,000-7,000 residents that have chosen to not leave their city. Ilya, Neliah and Svetlana are once again war refugees after evacuation years ago from their cities in their childhood to survive and run away from Nazism.

They are so grateful for the love and care they have received from the members of Helping Hand Coalition and from all their international friends.

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