Jews like Raisa need you once again

Shalom,

I waved goodbye to Raisa and prayed it wouldn’t be for the last time. I had stopped by the small one-bedroom apartment she shares with her 95-year-old husband when Raisa said something that still weighs heavily on my heart:

“In every generation, when something goes wrong in the world, Jews are the first to be blamed. It’s happening again today.”

Sadly, Raisa knows this from experience. I’ll share more of her story in a moment. But first, as we begin 2026, I ask you to consider responding with renewed compassion and generosity for poor and elderly Jews like Raisa.

Many of those we help have already endured unimaginable suffering as Holocaust survivors. Your renewed support helps provide warmth, nourishing food, and hope for vulnerable Jews who are facing another harsh winter alone.

Raisa was only six years old when World War II began. Her father, a sailor, managed to get Raisa, her mother, and her infant sister onto a ferry as Nazi soldiers advanced.

“As I stepped onto the wooden planks of the ferry, I could see the water below,” she recalls. “I felt everything shake from nearby explosions. I was terrified that I would fall into the water.”

After a long and dangerous journey, they finally found safety. Years later, Raisa made aliyah—immigrating to Israel—but even then, anti-Semitism followed her.

“One woman said she wanted to put all the Jews on a ship and set it on fire.”

My heart aches for those like Raisa who have survived so much, yet remain at risk today. Without help, many may not make it through the brutal winter months ahead. Your support right now can help provide heating, food, and basic necessities when they are needed most.

Despite everything, Raisa holds tightly to her faith and her compassion for others:

“I believe in God, and I love people—whether they are Jews, Christians, or Muslims—as long as they are faithful and kind. I feel the support of millions of Christians, and I thank all of them for caring about me. I’m just one old woman, but I feel the love and care.”

Thank you for standing with Raisa and so many others who need to know they are not forgotten.