The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is distributing 46,000 Fellowship gift cards this year to needy families with children in Israel, enabling them to purchase food for the High Holy Days.
Based in Chicago and Jerusalem, IFCJ also will distribute food baskets through the Latet and Colel Chabad organizations to an additional 75,000 Israelis in need, the organization said. In all, IFCJ said it will spend $4 million for gift cards and an additional $600,000 for food baskets.
Billing itself as the largest funder of social services in Israel after the government, IFCJ says its efforts will benefit more than 300,000 Israelis.
“This is the largest and most far-reaching food campaign ever in the history of Israel,” said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder and president of IFCJ.
The IFCJ was founded in 1983 by Eckstein to promote better understanding and cooperation between Jews and Christians. IFCJ coordinated the food campaign with Israeli welfare offices around the country.
