By Nativia Samuelsen

After twelve long days of sirens, sleepless nights, and relentless anxieties of war, a fragile calm is returning to Haifa. For the residents in the ICEJ’s Home for Holocaust Survivors in this major port city, the end of this latest conflict brings both relief and reflection. These precious men and women have already endured the darkest chapters of modern history during the Nazi genocide: hunger, displacement, trauma, and profound loss. And now, even in their older years, they continue to show extraordinary resilience.

The recent war with Iran, known in Israel as “Operation Rising Lion”, was unlike anything Israel has faced before. Huge ballistic missiles targeted Israeli cities, homes were reduced to rubble, and entire communities were evacuated. Yet through it all, our Holocaust survivors pressed on with remarkable fortitude. We praise God for His protection during this time, as one missile struck just 800 meters from our Haifa Home.

The Christian Embassy’s team at the Haifa Home responded quickly from the very first day of the conflict. The kitchen and dining room were in full operation every morning and afternoon, preparing and packaging hot meals for Holocaust survivors, not just our residents but others in the Haifa area. Nearly 400 hot meals were cooked, packed and delivered each day to Holocaust survivors, some too frightened or frail to leave their homes. Each meal, hand-delivered by caring volunteers, was a message of love and care; a reminder to each survivor that they are not forgotten, that someone sees them.

Among the 400 survivors we helped to feed was Ina, born in Moldova and a survivor of the Transnistria ghettos, where she lost both her parents and grandmother during the Shoah.

“It so warms our heart that you care for us and that you feel our difficulties,” Ina told us. “I didn’t even go outside to get my medication. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

Asia, deported to Siberia during the war, endured hunger, cold, and sickness before finally making Aliyah in 1990.

“I am so happy to be in Israel and now my grandchildren serve in the IDF,” she proudly said with a smile. “Thank you so very much for those hot meals. They were such a blessing to us in this very difficult time of war.”

Lydia, born in 1934, survived the 900-day siege of Leningrad. She recalled the cold and starvation that claimed the lives of nearly a million people. Today, she lives in Haifa, grateful for every visit and every caring word.

In one of the hostels where we distributed meals, we also met Yaroslava, born in 1935 and the last living “Righteous Among the Nations” in Haifa. At the age of six, she acted as a messenger for her grandfather, helping hide and feed Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland. In 1995, she was allowed to immigrate to Israel and now resides in a senior home. Her bravery and compassion, even as a child, continue to inspire many.

In one apartment, we met the couple Shoshana and Raphael, whose love over decades stood firm even in the face of war. At 90, Raphael struggled to reach the shelter when sirens wailed.

“You go, Shoshana. I love you. Stay safe,” he would say.

But she always replied, “I love you too and will not go without you.”

Tova, who survived the Holocaust in Romania, lives with her son Avi, a wounded veteran of the Second Lebanon War. Their home has no safe room, yet she kept her faith.

“It is me, Avi, and God, and He kept us,” assured Tova. “It’s not about the food, it’s that you came. That gives me hope.”

In another apartment, we found Eduard, 88, who once lived on the street because he could not climb the stairs to his flat. Now with the help of a caregiver, he remains at home, but alone.

“Thank you so much for visiting,” he said. “I feel your care and love, it means the world to me!”

Shlomo Katz, once a respected doctor and a proud Zionist who made Aliyah from the USSR in 1977, is now nearly blind. He found the war especially difficult.

“Running to the shelter in the dark… I could hardly see. I felt trapped,” he recalled.

And then we met Avraham and Ruth, a couple married for 68 years. Avraham arrived on an immigrant ship from Poland in 1946, the sole Holocaust survivor in his family. After a brief stop in Cyprus, he reached the Land of Israel and met Ruth, a native-born sabra. They built a life together in Israel.

“It’s not just the food, but the love and care that you brought into our home. That’s what we’ll remember,” Ruth told our team.

“We are still trying to recover from this 12-day war, which felt like 12 months,” remarked Yudit Setz, head of our Haifa team. “The reality in Israel is that from one moment to the next, the country changes from a state of war into complete normalcy again, which gives the feeling that we all lived on another planet just moments ago. All our residents and caregivers are so relieved. No more getting up in the middle of the night, no more running to the bomb shelters, and no more scary sirens going off at any given time. Public transport is running again, and we all continue with our lives like before.”

During the war and its aftermath, a hot meal and connection to our friendly delivery teams has meant the world to those who had already endured the unimaginable. The ICEJ is honoured to continue standing with so many Holocaust survivors in Israel, especially in these very vulnerable moments. May their stories never be forgotten, and may we always be ready to serve them with warmth and respect.

Please give towards our efforts to care for Holocaust survivors in need. Donate today at: help.icej.org/survivors

Main photo: ICEJ Deputy Aid Director Yudit Setz (middle) with Ina (left) and Yaroslava (right).