Nestled deep in the Mountains of Judah lies a small yet significant Israeli city: Kiryta Arba. It is a part of the larger Chevron metropolitan area and is crucial to understanding the nuanced political situation in these lands. The city’s ancient roots stretch back thousands of years to when “Avraham buried his wife Sara in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre—now Chevron—in the land of Canaan(Genesis 23:19).” Unfortunately, due to the debilitating, devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kiryat Arba is finding its residents in dire straits. Israel365 Director Rabbi Tuly Weisz was contacted by friends of the Israel365 Charity Fund beseeching him for help.
“Tamar Langel, a widow with two children in the Yeshiva,” a school for Jewish learning, “who are 14 and 17 years, can hardly feed her family,” said Gideon Lhungdim of Kiryat Arba. “She was tested positive for Corona towards the end of September,” Lhungdim continued, “and she did a second test after 14 days but still tested positive! She is the only bread earner in the family. She is so worried about her home’s rent and for her other basic necessities.” Luckily, Israel365 is here to help!
“I just could not stand by and watch Tamar and her two sons, Reuben and Oved, suffer so,” recalls Rabbi Weisz, “all of us at Israel365: supporters, staff, and family, will not rest easy until the Langel family can rest easy, too.”
This information comes after the Israel365 Charity Fund began a campaign to help several other families in similar circumstances across the country. Says Israel365 staff member Elie Mendelowitz: “We are not the kind of people who quit when the times get tough. With our supporters behind us, I believe that our extended Israel365 family can help this beautiful country to not only survive the pandemic, but to thrive in spite of it.”