'A moving gesture'
Photo: Eli Mandelbaum
Hard at work
Photo: Eli Mandelbaum
Blind youth pack holiday parcels for needy
A dozen blind teenagers join Tachlit association's volunteers in Jerusalem, packing food bundles for poor families ahead of Rosh Hashana. 'I usually feel connected to the people of Israel, and this gives me a sense of unity,' says one of boys
The 1,200 volunteers of the Tachlit
association, which aids needy families, were joined this week by a dozen blind teenagers who arrived to help pack food parcels for the poor ahead of the High Holidays.
Tachlit is one of 150 associations supported on a regular basis by the Latet organization. "Compared to last year, the distress is very high," explains Aharon Cohen, Tachlit's director-general.
"People don’t stop coming, while the volume of donors is getting smaller. And we are under pressure, trying to meet the needs of all those turning to us, making commitments we will have to deal with after the holidays."
Ahead of the Jewish New Year, Tachlit seeks to mediate in the adoption of a family for the holiday. "Through us one can receive details about a family in need of help, talk to its members and send them commodities for the holiday, aid or support," Cohen adds.
"Following our cooperation with Ynet's activism channel ahead of Passover, many relationships have been created between well-established and needy families and hundreds of them have kept in touch and will also celebrate Rosh Hashana together."
As for the volunteering youth from the Jewish Institute for the Blind, Cohen said, "I think this is a moving gesture which can shed a light and provide a direction for the rest of the populations in Israel to help. We are required, as a healthy and normative public, to join the circle of giving."
- Families in need of help, adopting families and volunteers are invited to call 1-800-200-606, 24 hours a day.
