A new campaign aims to raise $20,000 for groceries, rent, medicine, and therapy for the families left behind
The funeral ends, and the mourners go home. A few weeks later, the rent comes due.
That second moment never makes the news, and it is the moment Israel365 Charity built its newest campaign around. Since October 7, hundreds of Israeli women have become widows, and hundreds of children have lost a parent (Defense Ministry and National Insurance Institute data, October 2026). For many of these families, losing a husband or wife also meant losing a paycheck, and the bills kept coming.
Hani Shlomo’s husband was killed on October 7, leaving her to raise four children on her own. Israel365 supporters stepped in to keep food on her family’s table.
Sofia Chicheportiche’s husband fell defending the community of Pri Gan as terrorists stormed it that same morning. She was left to raise four children without him, and donors helped cover the everyday costs of keeping her household running.
Nissim Elimelech lost his wife, Ronit, to an Iranian missile. Contributions from Israel365 donors helped him keep his children in therapy, pay school costs, and handle the urgent expenses that pile up after a sudden death.
A Need Older Than the War
The war deepened a crisis that was already there. More than one in four Israeli families struggles to put enough food on the table, according to the Israeli aid organization Latet (Latet, Alternative Poverty Report, 2025). Among Israelis who turn to aid groups, two out of three reported going without medications or medical treatment they could not afford (Latet, Alternative Poverty Report, 2025). Elderly Israelis on fixed incomes are among the hardest hit: most of the elderly people Latet supports live in poverty (Latet, Alternative Poverty Report, 2024).
Israel365 Charity has spent years supporting families like these. The current campaign, part of the organization’s Humanitarian Month, focuses on three groups: widows, orphaned children, and struggling families and elderly Israelis. Gifts provide direct financial support that can help cover needs like groceries, rent, medicine, education, and therapy.
An Ancient Obligation
Few commands appear in the Hebrew Bible as often as the call to care for the widow and the orphan. Moses wrote it into the tax code of ancient Israel. Every third year, a tithe went out so that “the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied” (Deuteronomy 14:29).
The law went further. Farmers were required to leave pe’ah, the corners of their fields, unharvested so the poor could gather food with dignity (Leviticus 19:9-10). Israel365 Charity treats every gift as a modern version of that corner: a share set aside so that no one in the community goes hungry.
How to Help
The campaign has a $20,000 goal and has raised more than $5,000 so far, with just over two weeks remaining. Gifts of any size are accepted and are tax-deductible in the United States.
Donations can be made at Israel365 Charity. For stock donations or legacy gifts, contact Dan at dan@israel365.com.
For the families on the receiving end, the result is concrete: a paid rent bill, a full refrigerator, and a child who keeps going to therapy.
