By Corrie Van Maanen

Warm holiday greetings from Jerusalem! Leading up to Rosh HaShana on Tuesday, ICEJ Homecare was very busy preparing special gifts to bless elderly Russian Jewish immigrants who have come to rely on our home visits. Their responses were most precious and encouraging.

Twice a year, before the major Jewish holidays in the Spring and Fall, Homecare pays a special call on all fifty-plus Russian Jewish families on our list for regular visits. For the Jewish New Year, we just took each one a lovely gift of a hand-crafted cup from Jerusalem, with a jar of honey and a beautiful card with a verse from the Psalms. As we delivered the cups and honey, we wished them a sweet and good new year, despite their circumstances.

In Dutch, there is a saying, een bakkie troost, meaning a “cup of comfort”. Our special message we shared with each person was the hope that this cup would be a comfort for them, and when they drink from it, they would remember that many Christians worldwide are praying for them.  

We sat at their table and listened to their concerns, we heard stories about the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and grandchildren defending the country in the Israeli army. It is noticeable that many of them are losing hope, weary from the tension and uncertainty of Israel’s current prolonged war with Hamas.

“We don’t know anymore,” is a common remark. I cautiously respond: “Only the God of Israel knows, and He can be trusted.” Just a few words like that helps them overcome their gloom and turn them towards new, brighter thoughts. It is a true joy to bring hope in a such a somber time.

This outreach of delivering Rosh HaShana gifts lasted three weeks, and an idea was born amid our daily journeys. For those most alone, on the last morning before the start of the Jewish New Year, we bought ten beautiful bouquets of flowers. The Homecare car became a little flower garden!

It seemed so small, so simple, yet the effect was immense. It was unexpected, as the elderly came to the door and were happily surprised, sometimes even shedding tears. It also seemed as if light suddenly broke through a dark, cloudy sky. A ray of light from heaven entered their home and showed them, through flowers, “You are not alone.”

We delivered the first bouquet to an elderly Ukrainian Jewish couple from Mariupol, who have suffered greatly in their lives. Integrating into Israel is a challenge for them. Every morning after breakfast, they take a short walk—a very short one, because there is a bench in their street, and they sit on it. There they were when we arrived with the flowers. A surprised look came upon their face: “Is this for us?”

We then delivered the last bouquet to a 99-year-old blind man. I placed the bouquet in his hands and told him they were his favourite flowers – chrysanthemums. He carefully touched the flowers with his fingers, as if he could see their beauty through them. Softly, heartily, he said, “THANK YOU!”

It made for a beautiful day, a real celebration of hope. It is not about the big, but the small things that add up in life! Shana Tovah!

Thank you for your support of the ICEJ Homecare, as our team comfort these precious elderly Jewish immigrants in Israel.

Give today at: help.icej.org/homecare