By: Staff Writers

As the end of the year approached, the weather in Haifa finally turned cooler following the summer heat, with rain returning now and then. As Hanukkah was nearing in mid-December, our team of Christian workers kept busy preparing Hanukkah gifts for the residents and our fellow Israeli staff at our Home for Holocaust Survivors. We also hosted different groups from the US and an ICEJ hands-on tour. And preparations were underway for the final Miss Holocaust Survivors beauty contest in December as well. In other words, there is never a dull moment here at the Haifa Home. 
 
Appreciation Event for Caregivers 
Seventeen of our residents have a 24/7 live-in caregiver. Depending on the residents’ language, caregivers come from various countries such as the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Moldova, Ukraine, and even Uzbekistan. They leave their families behind to earn a living abroad, hoping to give their children a better future. Their work is far from easy, and being so far away from their children and families adds even more challenges. 

Our team reaches out to encourage the caregivers and assist them with any problems they may encounter with their residents. One of the ways we do this is by organising an “Appreciation Event” where everyone is invited to attend. Besides drinks, cakes, and some colourful fruits, we seek to have fun and laughter together, and to show appreciation for one another. 

“We see the hard work you are doing when you have sleepless nights, or when you have to stay inside most of the day because your residents cannot go outside anymore”, ICEJ Aid deputy director Yudit Setz told the caregivers. “We also see your tears when you deal with problems with your family back home. But above all, God sees you. Jeremiah the prophet said: ‘Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble.’ May God be your strength when you are weak. May He be your fortress when it looks like the whole world is against you. May He be your safe place when the pressures of life overwhelm you. We so appreciate everything you are doing for our residents, and we want to honour you for it.” 

The ICEJ team gave each one a present in which gold was the distinctive colour, reminding them that they are like gold: very precious to each one of us, hard to find, but also often refined in the fire to become even more pure. 

“If your team would not be here, our life would have been so much more difficult”, one caregiver shared, while the others nodded in agreement. “We so appreciate what you are doing for us.” 
 
Gymnastics at the Beach 
A change of environment is always good for our residents. That is why one of our recent gymnastic classes was conducted at the beach. “Wonderful”, Haya said, when she felt the wind blowing through her hair. 

Sitting in the chairs the ICEJ team took along, all the survivors were happily moving their hands and arms, with our physiotherapist Simcha leading them. The movement, the view of the sea, and the breeze off the ocean made all the difference! 

Very close by was a newly dedicated memorial to the Haim Arlozorov, a ship which brought nearly 1,400 Holocaust survivors from Europe to Haifa after the end of World War II. The British navy captured the ship off the coast of Haifa, and all the people were transferred to other boats and taken to the British detention center in Cyprus. Until today, the remains of the sunken ship lie offshore about 70 meters from the Haifa coastline. 

In that same year, Zelda, now a 97 year-old resident of the Haifa Home, arrived by boat from Europe after surviving the Holocaust. The boat was captured by the British, and Zelda and her brother, along with all the other young people, were taken to a detention camp in Cyprus. Many of our residents arrived in the Land of Israel by boat to Haifa, which is why this location, where we held the gymnastics session, held special significance for our residents. 
 
Sunset at Haifa Shores 
Late one afternoon, we took four residents with the care team to stroll along the new promenade to the same memorial commemorating the sinking of the Haim Arlozorov. 

The ship sank off the coast of Haifa on 28 February 1947 with 1,398 Jewish refugees on board. All the survivors were arrested by the British authorities and deported to Cyprus. The story brought back memories to the residents about their own journeys of escape and new beginnings here in Israel. 

Afterwards, the group settled down on a bench overlooking the sea. With tea and biscuits, everyone enjoyed the fresh breeze and the colourful sunset over the Mediterranean. The atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed – a moment of peace and gratitude. 

“That was so lovely, thank you for organising it so lovingly”, said one resident with a smile. 

“I don’t like driving, but today it went very well – I really enjoyed it!” added Etta with a laugh. 

“We can do that again!” chimed in Fanny. 

Sun, sea and community are a wonderful combination! 
 
Young People with a Heart for Israel 
When Christian youth want to visit the Haifa Home, it fills our hearts with excitement. The young generation are dealing with many challenges in the world today, and standing up for Israel comes with a price in the current climate in our nations. That is why we were delighted to host several recent events with German youth and the Holocaust survivors living at the Home. 

“I am so encouraged by these young people,” one of our residents said. “We only see anti-Israel protests in the world on our TV screens, and then to see young people in Germany standing up for Israel and they also come to visit us, this gives us hope.” 

Some of these courageous young people shared with our residents that in their high school class, they were the only ones who stood up for Israel. Others were not even sure in the beginning if they wanted to come to Israel due to the danger of war and the warnings they heard from people around them. However, they were so happy that they had not listened to those voices. They came and saw with their own eyes the reality of what life in Israel is all about, including the impact of the October 7 atrocities. 
 
Visit to a Special Zoo 
“I have been dreaming of petting dogs, and today my dream became reality,” said Sonja, who came to Israel with her husband 42 months ago from Ukraine. Due to her physical health, she is mostly home-bound and therefore an outing to a petting zoo just outside of Haifa was a dream come true. The three lovely dogs immediately caught her attention, and they became instant friends. Meanwhile, residents Arnold and Boris were elated to touch and carry snakes. They were the heroes of the day and felt very brave and courageous. 

Oded, manager of the petting zoo, invited us to come again, and we will certainly bring other groups of residents. His father, a Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry, funds this very special project, which continually hosts children with disabilities, among others, and teaches them to overcome their fears and learn to relate to animals. This builds their sense of self-worth and trust in the world around them. 
 
Thank You! 
On behalf of all our residents, we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the Haifa Home during this past year of 2025 through your prayers, donations, visits, and other acts of kindness and support. This has helped make our Home a safe and loving community where our residents can live out their lives with dignity and care. Thank you for giving us the privilege, as the ICEJ Haifa team, to be your hands, feet and voice every day here at the Haifa Home for Holocaust survivors. 
 
Support our work with Holocaust survivors by donating at: help.icej.org/survivors