German church raises money for Holocaust survivors
Germany's TOS Church Tuebingen, TOS Ministries International in Tuebingen along with Jerusalem Institute for Justice raise $54,000 for welfare of Holocaust survivors in Israel; Funds to be used to purchase blankets
A recent fundraising campaign held in Germany, with the aim of raising money to buy blankets for Holocaust survivors in Israel, was a great success, as some $29,000 were raised for Holocaust survivors in Israel.
As part of a joint project of the TOS Church Tuebingen and TOS Ministries International, based in Tuebingen, Germany, with the Jerusalem Institute for Justice (JIJ), Several members of the German church stood out in the main square their town each night during Hanukkah and raised some $29,000 for Holocaust survivors in Israel.
Coupled with donations from various other organizations overseas, the TOS Church and JIJ managed to raise a total of $54,000.
Photo: Survivor receives blanket (Courtesy JIJ)
The goal of the project was to raise enough to purchase some 10,000 blankets for Holocaust survivors. While they fell slightly short of this goal, Calev Myers, head of the JIJ, said that the amount of money raised, “…was really incredible for only two weeks time.”
According to Myers, so far 4,000 of the blankets have been purchased and distributed through various organizations here in Israel dedicated to helping Holocaust survivors. The need for such blankets amongst Israel’s needy became apparent in recent weeks as some four people are reported to have died from exposure to the severe cold weather that hit the country. Myers said that an additional 1,100 blankets would be purchased in the coming weeks.
Besides the TOS Church in Germany, one of the other overseas organizations that gave money to the blanket drive was the Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, a small suburb of the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Sherry Hodges, a Gateway Church member, said, “I know that God has said He will bless those who bless Israel. Our church has been so abundantly blessed, and I believe it is because we are very supportive of Israel and the Jewish people. I feel very proud,” she continued, “to be a part of a church that is helping God's chosen people. We are doing the right thing.”
Myers said of the blanket campaign that he hopes, “…to do the same thing next year, but on a greater scale.”
