“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
-Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning.
UIA's Call To Action
While the events of October 7 were unimaginable in scale and incomprehensible in horror, what we do know is that in this time of unimaginable adversity, our true character emerges. It is in these times of darkness and fear, when the rest of the world has turned their back on us, that our local community has stepped forward to support the People of Israel, at a time that they need it most.
Over the months of October and November, UIA urged loyal donors to consider sending E-Cards to family and friends in lieu of gifts, particularly over the chagim like Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. All E-Cards bought over this period would go towards care packages for the elderly residents of Amigour.
Care Packages for the High Holidays
In true UIA fashion, our donors heeded our call and sent hundreds of E-Cards to family and friends near and far. With the support of our community, UIA was able to provide 416 care packages to the residents of Amigour in Nahariya, located in the North of Israel. These care packages included staples like bread, tuna, cheese, fruit, milk and oil and treats including cake, wine and chocolates. Beyond the necessity of these packages, the thought and care that is felt by the recipients is immeasurable. Many of the 7,500 elderly Israelis living in Amigour’s 57 apartment complexes around Israel are Holocaust survivors, new immigrants and single-parent families who are unable to afford the current high cost of living. The added war-time climate in Israel means that many of the residents are unable to leave their rooms and spent the high holidays alone.
Knowing that their extended family in Australia were thinking of them during this period is not only a testament to the generosity and interconnectedness of Am Yisrael, but a tribute to the local community’s unwavering commitment to support the People of Israel.
Find out more about the UIA-supported Amigour facilities providing sheltered housing for Israel's holocaust survivors and elderly: