A Backpack, A Promise, A Fresh Start in Israel

Dear Friends,

There’s something unmistakably hopeful about a child carrying a brand-new backpack on the first day of school. The weight of pencils, notebooks, and a packed lunch may seem small to us, but to a six-year-old stepping into first grade, it carries the weight of possibility. It says: I belong here. I am ready. Someone believes in me.

For more than twenty-five years, Vision for Israel has been preparing for that very moment alongside Israeli families. Our Pack to School project has placed thousands of backpacks into the hands of children whose parents simply could not afford them. And every year, when we hand over those school packs and watch the joy spread across little faces, we are reminded all over again why we keep showing up.

As one school year now winds down here in Israel, our team is already preparing for the next one. This year, we’ve increased our goal from last year’s. We are working to provide 2,000 children entering first grade with everything they need to begin their educational journey with confidence. Each backpack will be filled with a water bottle, a lunch box, and a pencil case stocked with supplies. The total cost per child is just $53, but the impact lasts a lifetime.

We are especially burdened this year for families in northern Israel.

The ongoing conflict with Hezbollah has shattered the rhythm of daily life in the north. Many families have been displaced repeatedly, returning home only to be evacuated again. Parents who were already stretched thin are now juggling reservist duty, lost income, and children traumatized by sirens and sleepless nights. School has become one of the few places where some sense of normal is still possible, and a backpack waiting by the door each morning is no small comfort. It is a tangible promise that life can still hold goodness, that learning can still happen, that hope is still on the way.

That promise is one your generosity can keep. For $53, you can sponsor one child. For $265, you can sponsor five. For $530, you can equip ten little ones with everything they need to walk into a classroom with their heads held high. Every gift moves us closer to the goal of 2,000 backpacks, and every backpack carries the love of friends like you straight into a child’s home.

Will you stand with us? Please consider making a gift today, dedicated to our Educational Advancement fund. Together, we can answer the uncertainty of this season with the steady promise of a fresh start, sending Israel’s youngest scholars into the new school year knowing they are seen, supported, and deeply loved.

May the year ahead be filled with peace for Israel’s children, and may your generosity be richly returned to you and yours.


With love and gratitude,

Barry & Batya