Israeli citizens have been struggling under the twin burdens of stagnating salaries and consistent inflation for years now, and it’s created a crisis that’s keeping as much as 20% of the population below the poverty line. The crisis is a multifaceted one born of a mix of regional war, restrictive internal policy decisions, and other economic stressors, and that makes solutions difficult to find. Regardless of the difficulty, there are a great many people in desperate need of aid—fortunately, there are also organizations willing to step in and help.
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ or The Fellowship) is a world-leading interfaith organization seeking to build bridges between Jewish and Christian communities, IFCJ leverages its global presence and resources to provide humanitarian aid, financial support, and spiritual guidance to Jewish people around the world. As a recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews proudly displays the Better Business Bureau’s Charity Seal, and meets the ethical requirements of the Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship set by the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability, ensuring that every dollar donated is leveraged toward the good of others.
In recent years, over $303 million has been donated annually to The Fellowship (and $4.4 billion since its founding) for its support services, and this shows no signs of slowing down under the leadership of President and Global CEO Yael Eckstein. Salary and inflation challenges in Israel affect many, from orphaned children, to entire families, to elderly Holocaust survivors. The Fellowship is stepping up to provide critical aid to these poverty-stricken Jews both in Israel and beyond.
“We’ve found by working with the Ministry of Welfare and with the social workers on the ground we can identify the elderly in Israel who are in most need to receive this food aid,” Eckstein says, “And we’ve connected them with volunteers and with food packages to make sure that at least they’ll have food, at least they’ll have comfort.”
Yael Eckstein – “Salary and Economic Challenges in Israel are a Serious Concern”
Multiple reports from nonprofits over recent years have identified the depth and breadth of the poverty crisis bearing down on Israeli citizens. Over three million people, including nearly 40% of Israeli children, are either on the verge of poverty or are already suffering; Israel’s National Insurance Institute reported in their 2024 Poverty Report that more than 20% of the population is suffering from poverty conditions. These citizens are first in line to receive assistance from charities, partnered NGOs, and government assistance programs, and their needs are many and varied.
More than two-thirds of aid recipient households suffer from a combination of excess debt burdens (78.8%), inability to afford essential home repairs (69.5%), ongoing energy scarcity (84.8%), lack of access to medication (70.8%), and low hourly or daily wages (83%). Food insecurity is also common, especially among children, leading to health declines in nearly half of the affected population. This, combined with the psychological and economic pressures of ongoing regional conflicts, has combined to create a pervasive feeling of hopelessness among the poverty-stricken population; only 23.2% believe their financial situation will improve enough to make a difference within the next ten years.
These statistics only worsen when focused on the population of remaining Holocaust survivors, who are suffering from these problems of poverty alongside continuing issues with support and social isolation. Survivors in Israel were surveyed in 2024, and their responses paint a bleak picture: More than half of respondents couldn’t leave their home due to a lack of escorts, over a quarter struggled to obtain basic food products, over one-third needed aid with dental treatments, a quarter had to abandon medical tests and treatments entirely—the list goes on. When 12% of survivors can’t even access all of the rooms in their homes, the extent of the isolation and lack of support starts to become clear.
Poverty and loneliness combine to create a destructive and hope-draining epidemic among Holocaust survivors. More than a third of them live alone, with 41% reporting significant loneliness. Nearly 70% of them cannot leave the house without the assistance of another person, with 20% incapable of leaving at all. Half of surveyed respondents struggle with monthly expenses, and personal hygiene products are often the first to be sacrificed to make ends meet. In total, over 33% of Holocaust survivors in Israel live in active poverty. Help is desperately needed.
IFCJ Poverty Alleviation Programs
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews share on their website that, “We answer the biblical call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and provide shelter to the poor (Isaiah 58:7) through on-the-ground, lifesaving care, food, and support for impoverished Jews, elderly, and Holocaust survivors,” and their actions back up that statement. Whether through their own independent programs, or through their many partnerships with fellow organizations like The Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel, The Fellowship has built out the infrastructure needed to deliver critical aid to those in need, alleviating the worst of the effects of poverty.
IFCJ programs are supported by donations, with 76% of each donation going toward humanitarian aid, and 63% of that going toward food, shelter, and aid to Jews in need. This aid takes the form of direct assistance programs that provide food, medicine, blankets, heat, and general donations to the families and individuals in need across the country. Everything from food packages and clothing to professional training and scholarships are provided through IFCJ support programs.
The Fellowship supports the community in other ways as well. In December 2025 The Fellowship partnered with Leket Israel for fruit and vegetable distribution to those most in need by way of a “Leket Express” mobile greengrocer truck. In addition to fruits and vegetables for nutrition-insecure families, this truck serves as a mobile soup kitchen for vulnerable Jews all through the country. More than relief and support, programs like these seek to restore dignity and love to these impoverished communities.
In the words of one beneficiary: “Everything is expensive … The weekly distribution of fruits and vegetables provides essential relief — and peace of mind. This helps us very, very much. Any assistance helps, especially now.”
