According to the Israeli National Insurance Institute’s 2021 report, 1,980,309 Israelis (23% of the population) live below the poverty line. Even worse, 907,279 Israeli children (31.7%) live below the poverty line, as well as 155,279 senior citizens.

The report also found that due to a significant decrease in the standard of living of families in Israel, families who were considered under the poverty line in previous years are no longer considered as such, even though their economic situation has not approved. In other words, there are even more families living under the poverty line in Israel. 

Given this reality, it is critical to ensure that families – especially children – do not go hungry. For those of us fortunate enough to not be in this situation, it is hard to imagine the feeling of helplessness and anxiety of not knowing where your next meal will come from; of worrying that you won’t be able to feed your children. That is why our work at Ohr Rachel is crucial, and that is why our goal is to provide meals to as many families as we can.