Blog

She was out of options and out of time. Hagra had worked hard as a single mother to support herself and her 10-year-old son after her husband abandoned them. But she was suddenly stricken with acute renal failure and needed an urgent kidney transplant. Her brother proved to be a perfect match, but her problems didn’t end with a successful surgery. She could no longer work in her physically demanding job as a housekeeper, and Hagra wound up deep in debt.

Thankfully, she eventually met Arik, the head of CBN Israel’s family department, who provided the guidance she needed. He not only helped her sort out her debt; he saw that she was given the appropriate designation as a disabled person—who qualified for a full living allowance. Today, her life is back on track and she’s now able to encourage others.

Because of the generosity of our partners, we were also able to fix up her son’s room in their tiny Tel Aviv apartment, so he’d have a place to sleep and do his homework. Nahum prays daily that his strict non-believing Jewish father—who abandoned them because of his wife’s newfound Christian faith—will soon return. Hagra says, “I am so grateful for Arik and all CBN Israel workers and supporters. My life started over!”

You can be a blessing to so many single moms, like Hagra, providing them with groceries, housing, medical care, financial aid, and job training. You can also give these moms hope and encouragement as they seek to give their children a bright future.

Your special gift today will also provide help and hope to Holocaust survivors, relief to victims of terrorism, food and counseling to new immigrants, and so much more. People in Israel are depending on you. You can make the difference!

They are widowed, divorced, or abandoned. They are Israel’s single mothers, making up over 95% of the 130,000 single parent families there. Many are in crisis situations, relying heavily on government assistance. When COVID-19 hit, survival became even harder.

Thousands lost jobs. Others struggled to find childcare during school closures—often forcing them to stay home and lose their paychecks. These hardworking mothers have enough challenges making ends meet in normal times. But the recent lockdown robbed many of income, childcare, and the mobility to seek new options. Where could they turn?

Thankfully, friends like you were there through CBN Israel. Since the pandemic began, we have distributed more food packages, plus extra food vouchers and many other forms of aid. We have also helped with medical care, medicine, and care for special needs children requiring 24/7 supervision.

Arik, the head of our family department, is in constant contact with many single mothers, offering emergency relief, financial planning, and encouragement. Caring friends like you have made it possible for him and our volunteers across the country to shop for house-bound mothers and desperate families—and deliver groceries, diapers, and medicine to their homes.

Arik says gratefully, “We are making such a difference in so many people’s lives… Thank you for blessing Israel and her people in need.” Your support can make a tremendous difference in these challenging times. Please join us in reaching out!

Wendy was frantic… Abandoned by her husband, who refused to pay child support or alimony, she barely made ends meet. How could she possibly support three children on such a tiny income?

She worked any jobs she could find, just to put food on the table. Yet it was never enough, and Wendy constantly had to borrow money. Digging herself deeper in debt, she was on the verge of being evicted. Desperate, she was running out of hope.

But thanks to friends like you, she discovered CBN Israel’s group for single mothers, and met with Arik, the head of our family department. It was a turning point, and she recalled gratefully, “Meeting Arik saved me from being evicted from my apartment—and from giving up on life.”

Arik helped Wendy develop a budget and financial plan, negotiated with the bank to reduce her debt, and together they developed a long-term strategy. And for 10 years, her life was stable—until the COVID-19 crisis. After losing her job as a kindergarten teacher, she was battling to survive. Thankfully, caring people were there for her again as she reached out to CBN Israel. Arik immediately provided her with groceries—and a month of food vouchers!

Wendy is grateful for CBN Israel’s help to her—and to many single mothers who call Israel their home. And we are also offering aid to refugees, elderly Holocaust survivors, and those in need, especially during this global pandemic.

For many in the Holy Land, the needs are so great. Your support is crucial, and can provide families with food, housing, medical help, financial assistance, and the tools and training to become self-sufficient. Please join us in bringing God’s love to the hurting!

When they moved to Israel from Belarus, Faina and her husband had just come to faith in Christ and began attending a local congregation with their baby boy. Life was good, and she was happy.

But when she became pregnant again, she noticed disturbing changes. Money began disappearing, along with their electronic devices that could be sold. Then, her husband started staying out late at the bars after work—and when he finally stumbled in hours later, he reeked of alcohol.

With a baby on the way, she feared for their future, especially during moments when her son witnessed his father’s drunken behavior. She tried to help her husband and reached out to their pastor for counseling and support—but it was no use. He had stopped caring, and his self-destructive behavior grew worse.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and her husband suddenly left, with no warning. Alone with two small children, a pile of debt, and no income, Faina was lonely and afraid.

And then, hope arrived. Thanks to friends like you, Faina discovered CBN Israel. We paid Faina’s rent, and provided her with food, baby supplies, and food coupons for an entire month! As we helped her get back on her feet, she said gratefully, “I wish I could tell everyone who helped me how much I appreciate their support!” Faina found a new beginning.

And CBN Israel is also bringing hope, aid, and new beginnings to others in need, especially during this global pandemic. As the number of people in Israel needing our help soars, your support is crucial. You can share God’s love with elderly Holocaust survivors, refugees, and more—by offering groceries, shelter, and other necessities. Please consider a gift today!

When the terror attack happened years ago in Jerusalem, Yamit believed her husband had fully recovered. Yet the attack left him with a severe case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It surfaced years later—long after he could file an insurance claim to get the treatment he needed.

His deep depression eventually cost him his job. As his condition worsened, he would sit all day in a dark room, crying and screaming. Yamit felt like she was watching him die. And her heart broke at how it affected her children. The couple divorced, and his mother took him back to Finland to be with his family. They all hoped that with good care and professional help, he would recover.

In fact, he greatly improved with treatment—so much, that the children joined their father in Finland. Feeling hopeful, Yamit planned to join them as soon as she tied up loose ends. She booked her ticket and shipped all their belongings to Finland. But then, the world changed.

When COVID-19 struck, Israel enforced a strict lockdown; her flight was cancelled, and all her plans were on hold. Unable to work in the meantime, all her things had been shipped out, and her lease would end in a month, leaving her homeless and without money.

Thankfully, friends like you were there for her through CBN Israel. We gave her groceries and food vouchers and found housing for her until she can reunite with her family. And CBN Israel is helping so many during this pandemic and beyond—people in crisis who need resources, and a touch from God to survive and move forward.

Right now, the needs in the Holy Land are great—especially for vulnerable Holocaust survivors and immigrant families. Your gift can mean their survival. Thank you so much!

She had run out of options. Although she’d been raised in an ordinary Israeli home, Masaret had made some extraordinarily bad choices. Getting in with the wrong teenage crowd. Drinking heavily. Partying nonstop. Dating a drug addict. Spending all her money on her habit and running up heavy debts. Finally, she found herself the unmarried mother of two young boys, an alcoholic unable to cope—and she lost her sons into the child welfare program. Now Masaret had only two choices: rehab at a center of her choosing, or the government’s.

She had heard of the rehab center in Jerusalem and decided to take it seriously, entering their six-month intensive program. Working hard, she not only became sober, she met God for the first time. The program gave Masaret the strength to start over. She landed a job, got an apartment, and eventually got her children back. She was so grateful for a fresh start.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing; she still had a large outstanding debt. Arik, head of CBN Israel’s family department, helped Masaret talk to the bank and get her debt erased. Thanks to our generous partners, we were also able to help with rent, furniture and food. Today, she attends her local church, her boys love Jesus, and she’s finally making good choices.

During this time of worldwide concern about the COVID-19 virus, the need remains urgent as CBN Israel continues providing food, medicine, shelter, and other necessities to those who desperately need our help.

She did the right thing. Yevgenia decided to raise her precious little boy even though the father wanted her to abort the child. This single mother, living with her son and caring for her own mother, was blessed with an excellent job as a hotel chef in Israel. Life seemed good—until her mother suffered a sudden heart attack and needed costly surgery.

Then, tragedy hit! The hotel went bankrupt and Yevgenia lost her job. She struggled to keep her family afloat, working nearly every waking hour. Despite her efforts, she plunged deeper into debt, and finally fled Israel for her native Russia.

For eight long years she worked to establish herself, and she eventually returned to Israel. Unfortunately, Israeli law prevented her from opening a bank account—or even getting a job—because she still owed a large debt. By the grace of God, she learned of CBN Israel’s family department. We referred her to someone that helped her manage her finances, pay down her debt, and regain her status as a business professional. Yevgenia now has a new hope for the future. She said that she couldn’t believe anyone would care this much to help her!

During this time of worldwide concern about the COVID-19 virus, the need remains urgent as CBN Israel continues providing food, medicine, shelter, and other necessities to those who desperately need our help.

The one thing she didn’t have was time. Olesiya had to work two jobs just to get by. As soon as she got off her second job, she rushed home to care for her children. The young single mother had never expected to raise her children alone, but her husband had left soon after they’d immigrated to Israel—leaving her with all the responsibility and no support. She was always exhausted; the days went by in a blur.

Sometime later, Olesiya came to faith in Jesus and joined a local congregation—and gratefully pursued their childcare suggestions. She’d still come straight home from work and begin helping her children with their homework, playing with them, and teaching them the Word of God. But how could she care for them properly when she was stretched so thin?

Realizing her plight, Olesiya’s pastor introduced her to Arik, the head of CBN Israel’s family department. He helped her plan an effective budget and made sure she had food coupons each month. Finally, Olesiya was able to actually start living and eventually found a much better job. “I am so grateful for the help I received from CBN Israel,” she says. “My life has been changed in so many ways for the better.”

During this time of worldwide concern about the COVID-19 virus, the need remains urgent as CBN Israel continues providing food, medicine, shelter, and other necessities to those who desperately need our help.

They were about to be evicted! Eden was pregnant and because her husband was not yet an Israeli citizen, she was the sole breadwinner. The couple had met in Israel but learned that the path to citizenship was not always an easy one—especially for those coming from countries where family documents might be lost or hard to find.

As a result, Eden was under constant stress, working three jobs. But the bills kept piling up. Then, her husband unexpectedly left her with a pile of debts and an infant to raise. As a single mother, she couldn’t work the hours she had put in before, and soon the desperate 32-year-old had no food, no hope, and nowhere to turn.

Thanks to our generous partners, we were able to provide Eden with a way out. When she discovered CBN Israel, she never imagined the outpouring of support she would receive. Our team was there to help meet her immediate needs, reducing her debt and teaching her to manage her finances.

In time, Eden was debt-free, working in a kindergarten and back on her feet. Because her burden was lifted, her stress went away, and calmness returned. She and her husband, now a citizen, are finally reunited. “God’s grace and mighty hand together with … help from CBN Israel donors are a true miracle,” she says gratefully.

During this time of worldwide concern about the COVID-19 virus, the need remains urgent as CBN Israel continues providing food, medicine, shelter, and other necessities to those who desperately need our help.