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Giving Israeli Children Hope for a Bright Future

July 3, 2017

I am often asked, “What is your favorite Bridges for Peace project?” I love them all, but, my personal favorite is the Feed a Child Program. I love to give children a chance to succeed in school. I love that their parents, the school officials, teachers and community workers all become aware of the deep love that Christians worldwide have for the God of Israel and the people of Israel. Each child needs two sponsors, who give monthly to provide their child all their school needs. They receive a new backpack, notebooks and their schoolbooks. Each school day they receive a meal. They go on all school outings, and we cover the cost of after-school enrichment courses. We effectively make them equal with their better-off classmates. We are currently sponsoring 400 children in ten schools in four cities.

Last month we visited an elementary school in Jerusalem where we sponsor 30 children. The children’s choir was waiting for us in the lobby. As they sang my heart soared. I saw their bright faces and knew that they had hope because of your help.

The Tehilla-Evelina de Rothschild Secondary School is a girl’s school in Jerusalem. For four years we have been sponsoring 50 girls in this school. This year many of them graduated.

In Israel at the high school level many schools have stiff entrance requirements. This school, however, is a non-selective public high school. This means that children are accepted at all levels of capability and from every socioeconomic status, including some in dire circumstances.

Imagine our joy when we were told the astonishing news that the Tehilla-Evelina school had received an Award of Excellence from the city of Jerusalem in recognition of 100% of their graduating students successfully completing their matriculation (bagrut) exams.

Mr. Kinley Tor-Paz remarked when giving the award to Headmistress Beverly Gribetz, “When I was at the beginning of my career as principal, I used to say that my school was a ‘values school’ and that a matriculation certificate was less important. One day Ilanit, the principal of the secular high school in the region told me that my discourse was elitist, privileged. ‘For many children, a matriculation certificate is the only key to breaking the cycle of poverty and smashing through the barriers that society has placed in their way,’ she said. And I learned. In all of Israel, out of 1,000 high schools, only 19 high schools can boast 100% success on the matriculation exams. Almost all of them are selective high schools for boys and girls from successful families, who come from homes that provide plenty of support and have the resources to pay for that support.”

Rabbi Yehoshua Looks, who works with the school, told me, “Becky, Bridges for Peace can claim this achievement! Without your help many of these students would not have passed this test.” Hallelujah!

“Emile’s story is one of perseverance and determination,” says the principal. “This is a girl with more than a few strikes against her—she’s an immigrant, she’s poor and she has a language processing disability.

“Despite her learning disability, we have few students more studious. She’s always prepared and on time. Plus, she is a kind, nice girl. She gives a lot, so we are doing everything we can to help her succeed academically.

“A big part of helping her succeed in school is making sure that she doesn’t go hungry. Emile’s father stacks shelves in a supermarket. Her mother struggles with health issues and is unable to work. There are at least a few days every month where Emile’s parents are unable to feed her and her older sisters.

“Through the Feed a Child Program, Emile and 49 other students receive a hot, nutritious lunch every day. The meal is an offering of sustenance, support and love. Hungry students can’t concentrate. They miss school more often. They often fall behind and are more likely to suffer from depression.

“For students like Emile, who are already struggling academically, hunger spells failure. Feed a Child spells success by offering nourishment for the body and in turn the mind. Now in ninth grade, Emile’s hard work is beginning to pay off.”

Emile and her family are thankful, she says, “The support I get from everyone at school and from Feed a Child makes me feel like I have a safety net around me…like I won’t fall, I won’t fail,” she says. “Thank you from my heart, Bridges for Peace.”

Another girl, Lital who just finished the 8th grade told us, “I am so grateful to all the generous people at Bridges for Peace,” she says. “When I finish eating lunch I don’t just feel full in my belly. I feel full in my heart.”

Can you help?

If you are already a sponsor, please continue for the next year! We also need new sponsors so we can help more children. We can change their lives—giving hope and a future. Please ask the Lord if He wants you to be a sponsor of the Feed a Child Program. One-time gifts are also needed to provide computers, projectors and other teaching tools to the schools. We will be making decisions about how many children to sponsor soon as school starts in September. Join the Feed a Child Team today!