The Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust victims in Israel - Proposal for the Project "Connected" 2012 5771

The Foundation for the Benefit of
   Holocaust victims in Israel

        Proposal for the Project
             "Connected”

              2012 – 5771

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Background
The Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel was established
in 1994 by Holocaust survivors for Holocaust survivors. It is a non-profit
organization.
Today, there are approximately 198,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel.
Around 50,000 of them live below the poverty line. 35 Holocaust survivors
pass away every day.
In 2011, the Foundation assisted over 60,000 needy Holocaust survivors in
Israel in a variety of ways, such as: providing nursing assistance in survivors’
homes, grants and refunds for essential expenses (like hearing aids or
medical treatment), emergency alert buttons, financial assistance with dental
treatment, eyeglasses, home renovations, volunteer groups, free legal
assistance to survivors, operating a large-scale volunteer network for
socializing with survivors, operating social clubs (the British Clubs), and so on.
For this purpose, the Foundation works to obtain funding allocations and
monetary grants from large institutions (the Claims Conference and the
Government of Israel), and private ones (individual donors and companies in
both Israel and abroad). The Foundation cultivates partnerships and working
relationships with government offices and with dozens of NGOs and other
organizations in Israel. Today, it serves as the primary organization for the
treatment of Holocaust survivors in Israel.
Additional information about the Foundation can be found on our website:
www.k-shoa.org

Coping with Loneliness
According to a study done by the Brookdale Institute over the past few years
at the Foundation’s request about the condition of Holocaust survivors in
Israel, one of the biggest problems survivors suffer from is loneliness.

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The Foundation’s target population’s attributes were compared to those of
Holocaust survivors in the general population.
The study found that in comparison to the average Holocaust survivors living
in Israel, the elderly persons who receive assistance from the Foundation (in
other words - needy Holocaust survivors) are sicker and more limited in their
ability to treat themselves and in daily function. This is a result of both their
old age and the fact that those who ask the Foundation for assistance do this
specifically because of their own limitations. Due to these same constraints, a
large percentage of them have trouble leaving their homes to do errands and
shopping.
The study also indicated that despite the fact that some of the Holocaust
survivors lean on a supportive social network, demonstrated by frequent
contact with their family and friends, a large percentage of them – around
40% - feel very isolated.

‘Connected’ – Computers for survivors
Project Description
The project objective is to take the Holocaust survivors out of their isolation
and connect them to the world of internet technology.
The project is run through the assistance of volunteers, students learning in
the “ORT Israel” National Network of high schools. They bring a computer –
along with internet connection – into the Holocaust survivors’ home. This is
all funded by the Foundation at no cost to the survivor. The students teach
the survivor basic use of the computer, as well as relevant functions that suit
their needs, such as using Skype for a survivor who would like to be in contact
with his grandchildren living in another country, helping a survivor interested
in writing her life’s story on a Word document, and so on. In this way, the
volunteers connect the survivor to current events and also provide added

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value by building a personal connection with the survivors. They spend quality
time together, create an inter-generational relationship and assist with
documenting personal stories. Through this project, we assist Holocaust
survivors in coping with their world of loneliness by exposing them to the
world of media and creating relationships between them and the volunteers.
By the end of this year, hundreds of Holocaust survivors around Israel will
have received a computer, internet connection and their own volunteer.
The volunteers, students from the “ORT Israel” Network will set up the
computers in the survivors’ homes, instruct them and accompany them
throughout the year. Instruction for the survivors’ will be done with the help of
the Israeli Internet Association, who has developed a special program for
instructing and teaching elderly populations about the computer.
Our goal is to increase the number of participating survivors in the
“Connected” Project in 2013.

Feedback by quotes from a few survivors and a volunteer:

   1. Chava and Kona Mordechai, Holocaust survivors from Tel Aviv –
   2. “We are very satisfied with the project. Every Tuesday, two nice kids come to our
      home and teach us about the computer. My husband is handicapped and I am alone
      with him in the house, so we are delighted when the kids come to visit us. The thing
      that makes me the happiest is being able to see and speak with my family in the
      United States through the computer. Thank you so much!”
   3.
       Reuven Toni, Holocaust survivor from Givatayim –
       “This project is wonderful. Thank you so much. We learn a lot from the computer
      and it is fantastic. We can learn about anything we want. The kids are great too. They
      really helped us and continue teaching us.”

   4. Zarina Iskov – ORT Student from Nazareth Illit (taken from her Facebook
      post) – “I was with my friend a week ago in the apartment of a really wonderful man
      named Nahum. He is a very special person. On a personal level, the meeting was
      very touching. He told us a little bit about himself – about his life and we were really
      touched. And on an educational level, he asked us a few questions about the
      computer; he is on a relatively advanced level. He uses the computer pretty
      well…and he was very glad we came. We’ve spoken a few times on the phone since
      the meeting, and we really are just waiting until the next time we go to visit him again
      - which will be this week!”

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Cost

The cost of a computer + internet for one year + operating costs is $830.
The project cost for 120 Holocaust survivors is $100,000.

*Based on an exchange rate of 3.8 NIS = $1
*The cost includes 5% inspection and supervision expenses for the project

Donor Recognition

We will gladly provide reports, photos, personal stories, site visits and formal
donor appreciation on the Foundation’s website in return for sponsorship of
our different projects.

                                       Thank you!

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