“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Isaiah 58:10
Dear Friends,
On the evening of 14 December, Jewish families around the world will kindle the first Hanukkah light. We’ll gather around tables, tell stories of God’s faithfulness, and watch the glow of the candles push back the early winter night. Hanukkah is the Feast of Lights and also a feast of home, of warmth, and of family. Yet for many children in Israel this winter, the table is bare, the apartment is cold, and the sense of safety is fragile.
In November, we shared about a new initiative within our feeding program: partnering with local “Warm House” centres that welcome children at risk after school. These hubs offer what every child needs to thrive—a hot, nutritious meal; a quiet place to study; caring adults who are present and consistent; and a safe, supervised environment to breathe, laugh, and heal. When a child arrives hungry and leaves nourished in body and spirit, that single evening can change the next morning.
Families are still rebuilding their lives after the upheavals of the past two years. Some remain displaced, and many children wake in fear and uncertainty. In this environment, the simplest acts—sitting down to a steaming bowl of soup, hearing someone call your name with kindness, finding a place at a real table—become lifelines.
Because of your generosity, Vision for Israel has a proven track record of responding quickly and compassionately. From our logistics center, we mobilized within hours to deliver relief to survivors and evacuees. Thousands received food staples, hygiene items, baby supplies, and store vouchers for dignity of choice, while children and parents accessed counseling and safe spaces to begin healing. That same commitment to practical mercy is what drives this Warm House initiative.
Here is what your help will make possible in a Warm House: consistent hot meals for school nights so that children can concentrate and grow; wholesome snacks that sustain energy for homework and play, and the steady presence of trained staff and volunteers who know the children by name. Together, we can equip these centres to serve more kids each week, keep kitchens stocked, and ensure every plate carries both nutrition and dignity.
Hanukkah teaches us that even a small flame can light an entire room. When we place one candle in the window, we declare that darkness does not win. Every hot meal, every seat pulled up to the table, every caring voice saying “We’re glad you’re here” is a candle set in a child’s night. When a community Warm House fills with laughter and the smell of freshly cooked food, we catch a glimpse of what restoration can look like.
Our prayer is to multiply that light across Israel’s most vulnerable neighbourhoods. One Warm House can brighten a street; several can brighten a city. And when you add your light to ours, a miracle can unfold that is every bit as real as oil that burned longer than expected: children who came in anxious leave at peace; children who came in hungry leave filled; children who felt unseen discover they are cherished.
The annual cost of the feeding program is 80,000 ILS (about £18,500) per home. Our goal is to help more than one Warm House. Will you join us in reaching Israel's most vulnerable and bring light into their darkness? Please give generously today so that more children can sit down to a warm meal, a safe space, and a hopeful tomorrow.
Hanukkah Sameach,
Barry & Batya
