Community Magazine April 2019

36 Community Magazine employment counselor who matches job opportunities with the hundreds of clients from a variety of backgrounds seeking employment, this service is the perfect solution for desperate job-seekers. They get expert career advice, assistance in crafting a CV and cover letter, job interview tips, and guidance for how to present themselves in a competitive job market. Relief in Wartime Yad Ezra V’Shulamit is also there to help populations affected by military conflict. During Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014, the organization delivered 80 tons of food, water and other items to residents in the South who were essentially trapped in their bomb shelters. For many residents of Sderot, Netivot, Ofakim, Ashdod, and Ashkelon, Yad Ezra V’Shulamit’s deliveries were the only reliable source of sustenance during that period of crisis. Likewise, during Operation Cast Lead in the winter of 2008-9, Lurie himself traveled with several volunteers to the southern regions enduring persistent rocket attacks to distribute desperately-needed supplies to the beleaguered residents. Back in the summer of 2006, during the Second Lebanon War, the organization distributed 1,000 hot meals to refugees from Northern Israel who fled to the center of the country to escape the bombardment from Lebanon. They also hosted a two-week summer camp for the refugee children who were able to enjoy at least a brief period of summer fun. And during times of peace, the organization is preparing itself for the next round of violence, even as it hopes it never unfolds. Last summer, Israel found itself teetering on the brink of war when violent riots erupted along the Gaza border and Hamas flung incendiary objects into Israeli kibbutzim. Yad Ezra V’Shulamit diligently began stocking warehouses preparing for the worst. With two warehouses filled to the brim with supplies, the organization is now ready to help should another confrontation begin, Gd forbid. “We have warehouses stocked with food and necessities that are immediately ready for distribution should war break out,” Lurie says. “We have no shortage of enemies who want to destroy us, so we should be prepared.” The Biggest Joy of All With Pesach just around the corner, Yad Ezra V’Shulamit is committed to helping the needy during the time of year when poverty is most acutely felt. Although the Welfare and Finance Ministries offer a food budget allocation for Passover, it amounts to a meager 13 shekels (less than $4) per family, not enough to cover the price of even a single box of matza.   “This Pesach, we will distribute 30,000 food baskets to people throughout the country,” Lurie proudly reports. “It’s a lot of work, but when I sit at my seder table, I will know I did everything I could to provide food to needy families. That is the biggest joy of all.” Lurie says that the organization’s dream is, quite simply, to shut down. “We want to close our doors. We want the children in our centers to have everything they need without our help. We want all the widows and orphans we provide for monthly to have everything they need. We want a family to be able to support itself with dignity. It’s not about giving, giving, giving. It’s about telling them, ‘Here – go, do, create. We’ll help you in any way possible so you can move forward."  “But until Mashiah comes, our doors will be open to anyone in need.” www.yadezra.net/passover