Special need for solidarity in difficult days

It continues to be a difficult time in the whole world, because of the pandemic, also in Israel. At the beginning of the lock down, we launched an emergency fundraising in order to be able to support families of migrants and asylum seekers, particularly those who lost their temporary jobs and found themselves quickly running out of savings. The generous support of friends and donors allowed us to support, until now, 48 families of asylum seekers (from Eritrea) and 141 migrants families (from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Moldova), both in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Ten days ago, after the opening of the schools at all grades, we resumed our after school activities in the Saint Rachel Center, prudently, hoping a progressive return to normal life. Only a few days after the opening of the schools, there was an incredible outbreak of the virus among the students and the teachers of the Gymnasia high school, frequented by many of the children of our Center: over 130 people there contracted COVID-19 and therefore, all students and teachers entered quarantine. Four of our migrant youngsters were detected positive, and all the others had to enter quarantine with their families.

A few days later, a student of the David & Paula Ben-Gurion Elementary School got infected, and the school was closed temporarily not only because of the singular infection, but also due to concerns that a large number of the children of this school have siblings who attend the Gymnasia high school. Consequently, we decided to stop temporarily our after-school activities in the Saint Rachel center because most of the children who come to our center frequent these two schools.

All in all, these last few days have been quite challenging not only for the migrant families but also for our whole staff. Now we try to help the migrant families by explaining and inter-mediating between them and the health services who are totally overwhelmed because of the high number of children who need to be checked. In case of need, we buy some food for those who are in confinement and cannot do their shopping. We also inform those who are sick or quarantined about the possibility of being welcomed in one of the hotels which have been mobilized by the Israeli Home Front Command and devoted to caring for people with corona virus or in quarantine, in order to keep them far from crowded environments, and avoid spreading the virus.

We continue to pray God for the end of this difficult period. Meanwhile we thank Him for this opportunity given to us to experience how much our lives are mutually linked, and to taste the joy of solidarity, even when it is costly.