Bring Light to Holocaust Survivors in Their Golden Years

Dear Friends,

There are people living in Israel today who remember a world that tried to erase them.

Many were only children when the Holocaust tore their lives apart. They lost parents, brothers and sisters, neighbors, and entire communities. They suffered the unimaginable and somehow survived. And when it was over, they made their way to Israel to build a new life in the only Jewish state in the world.

For these survivors, Israel was never just a country. It was a promise. Here, they believed, the hatred they had known in the diaspora would finally end. Here, at last, they would be safe.

Then came October 7, 2023.

When Hamas launched its brutal attack on southern Israel that morning, it shook the entire population. But for Holocaust survivors, the shock cut even deeper. The sirens, the burning homes, the families dragged from their beds, murdered brutally and taken into captivity. It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and for those who had lived through that horror, it felt terribly familiar.

The attacks did not stop there. Rockets came from Lebanon. Later, missiles came from Iran. With each new front, the sense of safety these dear souls had spent a lifetime rebuilding slipped further away. In their golden years, they were thrown back into the darkest era in human history, reliving memories they had spent decades trying to erase. And far too many of them are reliving it alone, in quiet homes where the loneliness weighs as heavily as the memories.

At Vision for Israel, we believe these survivors deserve far more than survival. They deserve light. They deserve joy. They deserve to know, in whatever years remain to them, that they are cherished and not forgotten.

That is why, several times a year, we hold cultural mornings for Holocaust survivors at the Millennium Center. And because some of the loneliest survivors cannot make the journey, we are now expanding our outreach to visit them in person, in their own homes and dwellings.

At each gathering, Holocaust survivors are at the center of our hearts. Our goal is to give them fellowship, excitement, and moments of genuine joy, to stir happiness in their hearts and bring smiles to their faces. We embrace them with love, fill the room with lively, uplifting music, and treat our guests to a delicious brunch. For a few precious hours, music replaces the sirens, friendship replaces loneliness, and the weight of painful memories begins to lift.

These mornings may sound simple. But for someone who has carried the trauma of the Holocaust for a lifetime, and who has now watched hatred return to Israel’s doorstep, a morning of song, good food, and creativity is nothing less than a gift of hope. It is a reminder that they are still seen, still valued, and still loved.

We cannot give these survivors back the years that were stolen from them. But we can make sure the years they have left are filled with as much light and joy as possible. And we cannot do it without you.

So many of these survivors remember a time when the world looked away. Today they need to know that it is looking toward them, and that friends across America, the United Kingdom, and around the world are standing with them in love.

Would you join us in blessing these dear survivors today?

Your gift helps us bring uplifting music, a delicious breakfast, creative workshops, and a small gift to Holocaust survivors who need to know they are not alone, and it helps us reach the most isolated among them with a personal visit to their own homes.

Please donate here and dedicate your gift to “Aid to the Poor.”

Three years after October 7, the world feels darker for so many in Israel. But together, we can be the light that reaches Holocaust survivors in their golden years, the very light they came here hoping to find.


With love and gratitude,
Barry & Batya