Everyone in Israel remembers the deadly attack in south Mt. Hebron in the Adora settlement in 2002. Two terrorists infiltrated the settlement on a Saturday morning, dressed in IDF uniforms and armed with M-16 rifles, and killed four people.

We met Shiri Shefi at the Bar Mitzvah celebration we hosted at the Millennium Center in December 2020, when her son was celebrating his Bar Mitzvah.

Shiri Shefi who was then a 27-year-old mother of three small children ages 5, 4, and 14 months, lost her eldest daughter, Daniel. She now recounts the moments of horror and says; “To this day, even 19 years later, I sense Daniel everywhere. In the difficult moments, when everything closes in, I feel her hovering over me and pulling me out. Then I [thank God] for both the good and the bad. There is strength at the end of the day, even though the pain cannot be erased.”

“Daniel wanted to go to the synagogue with my husband. A month and a half earlier she celebrated her fifth birthday. I remember that because she wore the same clothes to go to the synagogue, I still remember her telling me, “Mom, just a minute”, as she just wanted to finish watching some kids’ show on TV. And as she was saying those words, I saw a man in my living room wearing IDF uniform with a long M16 and a bulletproof vest, standing at the door and starting to shoot. I yelled at him; “what are you doing?!!” and for a moment I didn’t realize what was happening since we had soldiers in our settlement and I hadn’t yet realized this was an attack. He started shooting and from that moment I acted automatically. I went into the adjacent kids’ room, shut the blinders, switched off the TV, shut the door, and hid Daniel and Eliad under the bed, and asked them to be silent, and with my little son Uriel, I went under the other bed. After a few moments, I turned to the children to see what was happening. I saw that Daniel and Eliad were injured, I did not understand what was happening with them. Everything happened in a matter of seconds and all that while I’m hearing rifle shots continuing inside the house.”

In those moments Shiri still did not know Daniel was gone, despite whispering to them to check if everything was okay with no answer. She thought they did not answer because she had told them to be quiet. At some point, when the firing subsided, Shiri started thinking about how to alert that they suffered an armed attack.

“As I was thinking how to get to my cell phone I heard Daniel’s last breaths and I realized that she is not among the living anymore. As if God was telling me that I cannot touch her as she is no longer mine”, she says. “I quietly called Eliad again and he did not reply and I thought that they are both not alive anymore and that it’s just me and Uriel.”

Shiri managed to get to the MIRS device, and at that moment a neighbor from an adjacent settlement called and asked if everything was ok, in reply Shiri said: “The kids are dead.”

“I recall telling the neighbor that if God wasn’t there to help, how could she do anything to help?”
The call was cut off and Shiri tried to call the police station in Hebron where her husband, both her brothers and brother in law worked. “I spoke to the diarist and yelled to him that the children are dead.” He did not understand what I was talking about because the news about terrorists had not reached them yet. My brother who was there grabbed the phone and told me enforcement was on the way, and I replied that the children were already dead.”

When police forces arrived at the scene together with Yaakov, Shiri's husband, a cry came out of Shiri’s throat: “I'm sorry I could not save the children; Daniel and Eliad are dead.”

“Eliad survived,” Shiri says. “When I was in the ambulance they brought him to me to see that he was alive. He was injured in the ear and head but thank God he was alive.”

“We had two more children later, Noya and Guy. It was difficult looking for a home to live in. Eventually, after several attempts, we decided to live in front of the sea in Ashkelon, after trying dozens of apartments. We are like the sea—sometimes calm and quiet and sometimes raging. What goes on with our emotions is very difficult because something was taken from our soul, which will always be missed and always be painful—it cannot be explained.”

 “At the end of the day, with all the pain involved we have no other country,” Shiri says. “When Daniel was born we added the name Bat-El to her name. She is named after my late father-in-law which I never got to know, so we added the name Bat-El to hers. After she died, we wrote on the tombstone: "A land flowing with milk and honey." Honey (דבש Dvash in Hebrew) is an acronym for Daniel, Bat-El, and Shefi. Even with all the difficulty, we see the best in the Land,” she concludes.

Are you willing to bless Israel, make a difference in the lives of people, and partner with God's plan for restoration of the land of Israel?


Two terrorists infiltrated south Mt. Hebron in the Adora settlement in 2002 dressed in IDF uniforms and M-16 rifles and killed 4 people. This is Shiri’s story.

Terrorism—and Its Deep, Personal Toll | Blog | Vision for Israel

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.

Dear Friends,

As February carries us closer to Passover, we find ourselves thinking about the table—what it represents, and who gathers around it. Passover is a time when Jewish families come together, open the Haggadah, and remember the faithfulness of God in the Exodus story. It’s filled with tradition, beauty, and meaning.

But this year, for many families across Israel, there’s one question that casts a shadow over the celebration: What will we put on the table?

At Vision for Israel, our team is working around the clock to prepare this year’s Passover distribution of gift cards for families in need. We do this every year—but this year is different. The number of struggling families has grown, and behind each number is a story of hardship, resilience, and hope.

Many of these families now fall into a category quietly called the “war poor.” These are not just the traditionally vulnerable. These are hardworking parents, small business owners, self-employed professionals, and reservists called up again and again for army duty. Families who were just managing to get by—until life changed in an instant.

The cost of living in Israel continues to rise, leaving even dual-income homes unable to meet basic monthly expenses. And today, almost 27% of families in the country are facing food insecurity. That means refrigerators that stay half-empty. Parents skipping meals so their children can eat. Simple things—like buying matzah, vegetables, or chicken—have become a luxury many can’t afford.

We’ve heard these stories firsthand. Our team meets every family in person during distributions. We see the weight they carry and hear their heartfelt gratitude when help arrives.

Because of the growing need and the sharp rise in prices, we’ve made the decision to raise the value of this year’s Passover gift cards to $130 per family. It’s a bold step—but a necessary one.

A single gift card may not sound like much, but to a mother standing in a grocery store, wondering what she can afford, it’s the difference between scarcity and dignity. It means she can choose what her family will eat for the holiday, without shame. It means she can prepare her table with love, not fear.

One couple we heard from recently, G. and K., shared a story that truly touched our hearts.

They’re a young family with two children—a 12-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son. In early 2023, after years of hard work and study, K. launched his consulting business. It was finally starting to take off. At the same time, he was completing his master’s thesis, after graduating with honors from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He poured his energy into both—determined to build a life of purpose and provision for his family.

Then, October 7 happened.

Like so many, K. was immediately called up for reserve duty and has served on the front lines almost nonstop since. Because his business was new, he didn’t qualify for income-based compensation—only minimum wage. That barely covered their basic expenses.

They found themselves caught in a painful place—unable to keep the business afloat, and ineligible for many government support programs because of technicalities. They’re now facing mounting debt and emotional exhaustion. But what struck us most wasn’t their hardship. It was their spirit.

They didn’t reach out in despair. They wrote to us out of a deep desire to get back on their feet; to stabilize, to restart the business, to finish school, and to restore a sense of normalcy for their children.

They just needed someone to come alongside them.

This is where you come in.

Families like G. and K.—and thousands of others across Israel—are holding on. They're doing their best. But this Passover, many will simply not be able to provide a meal, let alone celebrate.

Your gift of $130 can change that and feed a family for Passover.

It can fill a table with food. It can remind a family that they are seen, valued, and not forgotten. It can carry a message of hope straight to their heart: You are not alone.

Would you consider sponsoring one family today? Or two? Or five?

Every gift helps. Every family matters.

Passover is a time of remembering God’s deliverance. It’s a season that reminds us that no matter how dark the night, redemption is near. What better time to extend a hand of compassion?

Let’s stand together in love and generosity. Let’s prepare a table—not just with food, but with dignity and hope. To give today, please visit our donation page and dedicate your gift to “Aid to the Poor”.


With love and gratitude,


Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Help Israeli families in need and “war poor” celebrate Passover with dignity. Your gift of $130 will feed one family. Your generosity restores hope.

This Passover, Love Your Neighbor in Israel | Vision for Israel

This Passover, Love Your Neighbor in Israel


“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Dear Friends,

As we look back on 2025, we want you to know how deeply grateful we are for your faithful partnership. In a year marked by ongoing security threats and growing needs on the home front, you helped us respond with practical compassion, steady presence, and timely action across Israel.

Because of your generosity, we installed 84 new safety shelters, bringing the total to 483 shelters since the project began. You helped 2,788 families receive gift cards for food and basic necessities, and you provided 912 children with new backpacks as they headed into the school year. At the Millennium Center, 12 gatherings brought comfort and dignity to Holocaust survivors, terror survivors, children at risk, and reserve soldiers and their families. And with 64 medic bags delivered to communities in the north, you strengthened emergency response where every second matters. Three lifesaving ambulances were donated to MDA, including one and a first-of-its-kind MICU.

Below is a month-by-month snapshot of the impact you made possible in 2025. Thank you for standing with Israel in a way that brings protection, provision, and hope.

With gratitude,

Barry & Batya and the VFI team

84 safety shelters installed in 2025 (483 total to date)

2,788 families supported with gift cards for food and essentials

912 children equipped with new backpacks for the school year

12 uplifting events at the Millennium Center for terror and Holocaust survivors, children at risk, and reserve families

64 medic bags delivered to strengthen lifesaving response teams

Gift Cards for Families in Need: Help with Everyday Essentials

Medic bags delivered to communities in the Galilee

Equipping Soldiers on the Front Lines: Essential Gear Delivered

Family Aid in Sderot: Standing with the South

Tu Bishvat with Holocaust Survivors: Planting Hope Together

Modiin Seniors at the Millennium Center: Good Deeds Day of Joy

Passover Help for Families in Need: Meeting Urgent Needs with Dignity

Purim Celebration for Terror Survivors’ Families: Restoring Joy

Passover Aid Continues: Reaching More Families in Need

Safety Shelters in the South: Building Safe Spaces Under Fire

Planting Fruit Trees in the Gaza Envelope

Rapid Response Aid: Supporting the Homefront during Iran War

Special Event and Backpacks for Reserve Soldiers’ Children

Gift Cards for the High Holidays: Helping Families Prepare

High Holiday Aid: Food and Essentials for Families in Need

MICU Ambulance Dedicated: Advanced Care on Wheels

Love in Action: Volunteers at the Millennium Center

Safety Shelters in the South: Protection in Uncertain Times

Financial Support for Families in Need: Covering Critical Gaps

UK Tour Group Visits the Millennium Center

Hanukkah with Holocaust Survivors: Light in the Darkness

Therapeutic Sessions for Reservists’ Wives

See what your support did in 2025—84 shelters, 2,788 families received food aid, 912 children received backpacks and 12 events hosted at the Milleenium Center.

2025 Year in Review: Protecting and Providing Across Israel | Vision for Israel

2025 Year in Review: Protecting and Providing Across Israel

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house…?”

Dear Friends,

Though it is still mid-winter, we are already preparing for Passover. Families will soon gather to remember the Lord’s deliverance, to retell the story of freedom, and to welcome children and grandchildren around the Seder table.

Yet many households are approaching this season with anxiety, not anticipation. A recent study reported that almost 27% of Israeli families, about 867,256 households, live with food insecurity, including roughly 1.2 million children.

For many years, Vision for Israel has responded to this need with a simple, dignified Passover aid initiative. In March, we will distribute hundreds of gift cards to families who are struggling, so they can buy the food they need for the holiday. Each card is about $110, and that amount can stock a family’s kitchen with basics for the week and the special items required for Passover.

These gift cards do more than provide calories. They allow parents to walk into a neighborhood shop like anyone else, choose what their children will actually eat, and purchase the kosher-for-Passover staples that can be especially costly: matzah, wine or grape juice, eggs, fresh produce, chicken, and cleaning supplies to remove leaven from the home. For a family living paycheck to paycheck, those extra holiday costs can feel impossible. A gift card says, “You are not forgotten,” and it lets a mother or father provide for the table with honor. And it arrives at exactly the moment the pressure is highest.

Passover begins at sundown on April 1. We are praying to reach as many families as possible before that evening. Last year, thanks to your generosity, we were able to bless about 1,200 families. This year, with prices still high and more families quietly slipping into hardship, the need is even greater.

Let us tell you about one of those quiet families. Avi, a father from Ma’ale Adumim, contacted us with a discreet request for assistance. Heavy ongoing expenses had pushed the family into deepening financial difficulty and mounting debts. Their eldest son, age 21, has a complex medical condition and has undergone several repeated surgeries, leaving them with significant medical bills. Avi shared that his wife works in the municipality, and they felt embarrassed to apply for welfare. They simply needed someone to stand with them, privately, without judgment.

After reviewing the situation, we provided a gift card. Avi responded with heartfelt gratitude. Then he said something we will never forget: he wished “that we would never meet again,” meaning he hoped the family would soon emerge from this crisis and never need such help again.

Every gift card is a reminder that the Body of Messiah has not forgotten Israel’s vulnerable. Some donors choose to sponsor two, five, or ten families at once, and every amount is put to work immediately. Most of all, please pray that these households feel the Lord’s comfort as they prepare for the holiday.

Dear friends, you can make that kind of discreet mercy possible. Your gift of $130 feeds a family for Passover. Please give today and dedicate your gift to “Aid to the Poor” so more families can enter this season with dignity, provision, and peace.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his deed.”

Help provide Passover gift cards to Israeli families in need. Your gift of $110 feeds one household with dignity this Passover. Please donate today.

Set a Place at the Table: Passover Gift Cards for Israel | Vision for Israel

Set a Place at the Table: Passover Gift Cards for Israel

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Dear Friends,

We write to you with a deep sense of urgency in our hearts. Although the headlines may be shifting elsewhere, here in Israel, we remain alert. The threat from Iran has not disappeared; it has grown in scope, intensity, and unpredictability. And if another war erupts, it may not resemble the past. It could come without warning. It could strike multiple fronts. And it could be even worse.

This is not a distant or abstract danger. It is a lived reality for every Israeli family, soldier, and responder.

Over the years, Iranian-backed proxies unleashed a barrage of rockets into northern Israel from Lebanon. These are not symbolic attacks. They are designed to cripple infrastructure, sow terror, and overwhelm our emergency response systems. What’s even more alarming is that Hezbollah now possesses guided precision missiles and advanced Iranian drones, some capable of reaching deep into Israel’s heartland. And as these threats escalate, so too must our preparedness.

At Vision for Israel, we do not wait for disaster to strike. We believe in acting decisively before the next siren sounds. Because when that moment comes, and it very well might, we want to be positioned to save lives, comfort the afflicted, and protect the innocent.

Many of you walked with us through the last war, when Israel faced relentless bombardment, and the trauma reached every corner of our land. You helped us bring tangible hope in the face of real danger. And today, we need your help again because the next war could stretch our systems beyond their limits.

Together with you, we’ve already accomplished so much during past crises:

Placed safety shelters in conflict areas in northern and southern Israel to protect entire communities.

Delivered urgent aid to Israeli families displaced by rocket fire, ensuring they had hygiene supplies, food, diapers, and clothing.

Provided thousands of nutritious meals to soldiers and emergency personnel working around the clock.

Supplied security personnel and first responders with essential protective gear, including vests, helmets, and rescue equipment.

Equipped responder organizations like MDA (Magen David Adom) with ambulances and emergency vehicles, giving them the ability to respond faster and save more lives.

And we stayed agile, responding to unforeseen needs that emerged during moments of chaos, when every second counted.


In times of war, those early hours are critical. They determine not only who gets help but also how many lives can be saved. And that’s why we are asking you now to help us prepare before it’s too late. Because preparation is not just good planning, it’s a form of mercy.

It means stocking up emergency supplies and having them pre-positioned in strategic locations, ready to go the moment a community is struck. It means ensuring our delivery vehicles are fueled, our teams are trained, and our communications remain intact even under pressure. It means having enough medical kits, trauma supplies, food, water, blankets, and clothing, not just to assist a few, but to care for entire neighborhoods.

When a child wakes to the sound of a siren and has less than 30 seconds to reach a shelter... When a mother must flee with her children, leaving behind their home, their belongings, and the sense of safety they once knew... When elderly Holocaust survivors are left alone in stairwells because they cannot move quickly enough… this is where preparedness becomes a holy mission.

And if the war comes from Iran and its vast terror network, we may be facing a multi-front scenario that challenges our emergency responders in ways we’ve never seen. In such a case, entire communities could be cut off. Hospitals could be overwhelmed. Electricity, water, and communication systems could go down. Civilians, not just soldiers, will bear the brunt of the assault.

Iran continues to provide Hezbollah with funding, training, and weapons, turning Lebanon into a launching pad for war. Meanwhile, Iranian-backed militias in Syria, Iraq, and even Yemen have been targeting Israel directly, testing our defenses and resolve.

But we know that the God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. And just as He calls us to trust in His protection, He also calls us to act with wisdom and compassion.

At Vision for Israel, we are preparing, not out of fear, but out of faith. And we are doing all this because the window to act is now.

But we cannot do it alone.

We are asking you to help us stand in the gap before the next crisis comes. Your gift today will go directly toward:

Equipping soldiers and rescue workers with meals and support

Purchasing protective gear for security and emergency teams

Strengthening our supply chains for trauma kits and medical equipment

Supporting emergency services and first aid responders such as MDA, Hatzalah, and ZAKA with the ambulances and emergency vehicles they rely on

Placing more safety shelters in communities within reach of rocket attacks


Please, give now before the need overwhelms the system.

The threat from Iran is not going away—and neither is our commitment to be ready.

We are reminded of the words from the prophet Isaiah: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” That is God’s promise. And in every crisis, we have seen His faithfulness unfold through your hands.

Let us not be caught off guard. Let us be the people who rise early, who prepare well, and who are found faithful in the moment of testing.


Thank you for standing with Israel,

Barry & Batya

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

As Iran’s threat continues, we ask for your help in preparing for another potential war. Food, aid, and emergency response are needed before the next crisis.

The Next War Could Be Worse—We Must Be Ready Now | Vision for Israel

The Next War Could Be Worse—We Must Be Ready Now

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

This month, we’re sharing something different and deeply important. We want to take a closer look at the root causes behind Israel’s ongoing struggle for survival.

Barry recently recorded a special teaching exploring the official charters of three terror groups whose activities have shaped the conflict with Israel for generations: the PLO (and its largest faction, Fatah), Hamas, and Hezbollah. These groups differ in their makeup—some are nationalist, some are religious, and some are backed by foreign regimes. But at their core, they are united by one tragic goal: to see Israel wiped off the map.

We understand how overwhelming the details can be. That’s why we’ve prepared this blog to help you understand the truth in a clear, simple way—so you can pray with discernment, speak with wisdom, and support Israel in this critical hour.

These are not just political documents. Charters declare what a group believes and what they’re prepared to do. They are blueprints for war—physical, ideological, and spiritual. And they reveal how these movements use all available tools: not only guns and bombs, but also propaganda, diplomacy, legal warfare (“lawfare”), and media manipulation.

The violence we see on the ground—rockets, kidnappings, stabbings—is only one part of the picture. These charters explain the ideology behind the attacks. And they help us understand why efforts toward peace are so often rejected or sabotaged.

The PLO & Fatah: A Secular Power Struggle with Conflicting Goals

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), formed in 1964, came long before the so-called “occupation” of Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank ). In fact, when the PLO began, Judea and Samaria were under Jordanian control, not Israeli. The organization’s foundational aim was not to establish a Palestinian state beside Israel, but in place of Israel.

Its largest faction, Fatah, has dominated the Palestinian political scene for decades. Today, the head of Fatah also leads the PLO and the Palestinian Authority, which governs portions of Judea and Samaria.

But the ideologies inside the PLO were always mixed—nationalism, pan-Arabism, socialism, anti-imperialism, and secularism all jostling for dominance. These competing ideas have long made unity and peace difficult. While Palestinian nationalism promotes a unique Palestinian identity, pan-Arabism argues that all Arabs should unite under one larger state. At the same time, Arab socialism rejects Western influence, while secularism keeps religion out of governance entirely.

This confusing web of ideologies has produced more internal power struggles than progress. Tragically, violence against Israel became the one unifying cause among the factions.

It’s also important to note what the PLO doesn’t include: a belief that the land of Israel has a divine purpose, or that peace should be pursued with Israel as a neighbor. In fact, its founding documents call for the replacement of Israel. And while the PLO claims to have “softened” its language in recent years, the core goal remains unchanged.

Hamas: A Theological War Against Israel and the Jewish People

Unlike the secular PLO, Hamas is a radical Islamist group that grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood. It emerged in Gaza in the late 1980s, and its founding charter is explicit: the destruction of Israel through jihad and the establishment of an Islamic state ruled by Sharia law.

The Hamas charter doesn’t just call for the defeat of the Israeli army—it declares war against Jews as a people. Its language is overtly antisemitic, referencing Islamic end-time prophecies that glorify murdering Jewish people. These are not fringe opinions. They are central to the group’s identity.

According to Hamas’s worldview, once a piece of land has been under Islamic rule—as Jerusalem was for centuries—it must never fall into the hands of non-Muslims again. For them, Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem is not just a political problem. It is a religious crisis.

Many in the West don’t understand how seriously this belief is taken. In the Muslim world, history is remembered with deep emotion. The Crusades, for example, are seen not as ancient history, but as yesterday. The same rhetoric used against the Crusaders is now used against Israel, seen by some as a new “foreign invader” that must eventually be driven out.

Even worse, Hamas presents itself not as a local Palestinian group, but as part of a global Islamic movement. One chilling line from their charter reads: “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam obliterates it.” Notice, it does not say Hamas will do it. It says Islam will.

At one time, some in Israeli leadership hoped Hamas could be used to counterbalance the secular PLO. But history has shown that empowering terror never leads to peace. Hamas is not interested in compromise. Its charter rejects Israel’s very right to exist.

Hezbollah: Iran’s Militant Arm on Israel’s Northern Border

Hezbollah may be less known to some in the West, but it poses one of the gravest threats to Israel’s safety. Unlike Hamas and the PLO, Hezbollah is not Palestinian. It is a Lebanese Shiite militia backed directly by Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror.

After Israel entered Lebanon in 1982 to push out the PLO, Iran saw an opportunity. The new Islamic Republic sent military advisors, weapons, and funds—eventually forming Hezbollah into a fierce paramilitary force.

Its charter, known as the “Hizballah Program,” outlines its loyalty to Iran’s Ayatollahs, its vision of Islamic revolution, and its hatred of Western powers like the United States and France. It includes anti-imperialist rhetoric, pan-Islamist ideology, and a commitment to wage war on Israel in every form.

In the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah launched over 4,000 rockets into northern Israel. At the time, Israel had no Iron Dome defense system. Many communities had little more than bomb shelters—many of which were crumbling from years of disuse.

That war marked a turning point.

Vision for Israel was among the first organizations to respond to the desperate calls from Israeli towns and villages. We began placing mobile bomb shelters across the country, protecting lives in the very communities that were once sitting defenseless. And even today, we continue to install these shelters—because the threat has only grown.

Despite their differences, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the PLO share one deeply troubling common goal: the total destruction of Israel.

They may use different languages. They may wear different uniforms. But their ultimate vision is the same—an Israel that no longer exists.

Their tactics extend far beyond the battlefield. They manipulate the media. They target Israel with lawsuits in international courts. They mobilize global sympathy while hiding behind civilian populations. And they flood the airwaves with lies.


Friends, we are not simply witnessing a political conflict. This is a spiritual battle—a battle over God’s promises, His covenant, and His truth.

The nation of Israel is living proof that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is faithful to His Word. But the enemy hates that proof. And he uses every tool at his disposal—terror, propaganda, lawfare, and more—to try to destroy it.

That’s why we must pray—not just with passion, but with discernment.

Pray for protection over Israeli families, soldiers, and first responders.

Pray for the truth to break through lies and confusion in the media.

Pray for the weakening of terror networks and their financial lifelines.

Pray for healing for those traumatized by war.

Pray for the light of God to pierce even the darkest places of hatred.

2. Give with Compassion.
The needs in Israel remain urgent. From bomb shelters to trauma support, from emergency supplies to food for families displaced by war—your gift can make a real difference.

If you feel led, please stand with us today.

Your support allows us to not only speak the truth, but to act in truth and love. Together, we can meet real needs and bring hope in the face of hatred.

Thank you for standing with us, for praying with discernment, and for being part of the answer in these perilous times.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.”

Understand what Hamas, Hezbollah, and PLO charters really say—so you can pray with discernment and help Israelis under fire. Donate now to support critical relief.

Israel in Focus: What the Terror Charters Really Say | Vision for Israel

Israel in Focus: What the Terror Charters Really Say

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".

Dear Friends,

As we welcome the new year, we do so with deep gratitude for your partnership throughout 2025. What a year it has been! A year of heartbreak, resilience, and restoration here in the land. And through every challenge, your faithfulness helped Vision for Israel bring practical help and hope to those who needed it most.

In a time when poverty is growing and uncertainty remains, we’ve continued to see God’s hand guiding every step. Families struggling to put food on the table. Holocaust survivors facing winter without basic supplies. Israeli soldiers still reeling from trauma. Communities living with the daily threat of terror. These are the lives you’ve touched through your giving, your prayers, and your love.

Thanks to your support in 2025, we were able to:

Provide gift cards for food, hygiene items, and clothing to struggling families

Equip trauma-affected children and parents with resources for emotional healing

Support local emergency response teams with life-saving equipment

Install additional safety shelters in high-risk areas

Offer relief packages to survivors of violence, loss, and displacement


And through our year-end campaign, you helped carry us across the finish line—empowering us to continue this vital work as we step into 2026.

But there is still so much to do.

Here’s where we feel the Lord leading us in 2026:

Develop new programs to support reservists and their families as they heal from the invisible wounds of PTSD.

Offer financial training for families in crisis, helping them rise above chronic poverty with practical skills and long-term hope.

Install more safety shelters in vulnerable areas, so families have a place of refuge during rocket attacks or terror threats.

Donate additional ambulances to emergency first responders, enabling faster and more effective emergency responses across the country.

Stay prepared for the next crisis—whatever it may be. Whether it’s war, terror attacks, or economic collapse, we want to be ready to respond the moment disaster strikes.


But to keep moving forward, we need a stronger foundation of steady support.

Would you prayerfully consider becoming a monthly donor in 2026?

When you give each month—at any amount—you equip us to plan ahead, act fast, and serve with confidence. Monthly giving is the backbone of our mission. It allows us to say “yes” without hesitation when emergency response teams call for equipment, or when another siren sounds in the middle of the night.

Your steady partnership makes it possible to meet urgent needs swiftly, ensuring that no one in crisis has to wait for help. It also sustains long-term healing and recovery efforts, enabling us to walk with individuals and families beyond the moment of crisis and into a future of hope. Most importantly, it empowers us to expand our outreach—to serve even more of Israel’s hurting and vulnerable with dignity, compassion, and love.

To begin your monthly gift today, visit and check the “Make this donation monthly” box:

Each shekel, each prayer, each act of generosity—these are the seeds God uses to bring hope to His people.

As we press ahead, our prayer is that 2026 will be a year marked by peace, healing, and restoration—for Israel, and for each of us. Thank you for walking with us. Together, we can bring light to dark places, comfort to the brokenhearted, and strength to those on the front lines of faith and service.

From our hearts in Jerusalem to your home, may your new year be full of blessings, and may the Lord repay your kindness with a double portion of His goodness.


With love and gratitude,

Barry & Batya with the VFI team

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose".

Your 2025 impact and our 2026 vision: PTSD care, shelters, ambulances, and more. Become a monthly donor and help Vision for Israel serve those in urgent need.

A New Year of Purpose | Vision for Israel

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands.”

Dear Friends,

This is the final day of the year and the final appeal we will make before the clock strikes midnight. The need has not grown quieter as the hours run down. It speaks in the voices of families who still sleep in borrowed rooms, in the requests from local leaders who want to protect their communities, and in the alert tones that still interrupt the night in parts of Israel. Tonight, we ask one last time because we know that readiness is not a slogan. It is a promise we must keep.

We remember what began on October 7: the murders, the injuries, the hostages, the evacuations, the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists. We remember how ordinary citizens became the first line of defense and how medics attempted to reach the wounded even when roads were deadly. In Be’eri, even the local MDA ambulance driver, Avi Yachatz, was gunned down, and with him his two young grandsons. Their loss stands as a summons to equip those who serve, to reduce exposure, and to strengthen protection for civilians and responders alike. 

The war that began on that day has become the longest in Israel’s modern history. Threats continue across multiple fronts. There are casualties every day. None of us knows when the next siren will sound or where the next strike will fall. What we know is that preparation saves lives. We see it when a medi-cycle reaches a wounded person minutes faster than an ambulance. We see it when a shelter is close enough for a child to reach without delay. We see it when emergency squads go on patrol with proper protective gear and return home safely to their families.

Since 1994, Vision for Israel has prepared for days like this. Our calling is to be ready in times of war and terror, to save lives, and to serve a vulnerable population with compassion. With your partnership, we have invested millions of shekels in the past two years to equip emergency response squads, purchase protective gear, deliver vehicles and medical supplies, and install shelters in communities in the south and the north. We have also provided relief and trauma support to families whose lives were turned upside down. Our spirit is not broken. We continue because love requires it.

Tonight, the Emergency Fund is our focus because it is the tool that turns compassion into action without delay. When MDA calls for an ambulance with trauma capability, the fund allows us to act. When a squad needs modern helmets and vests, the fund allows us to respond quickly. When a town identifies a gap in shelters near a school or a playground, the fund allows us to place protection where it is needed most. The Emergency Fund means that when lives are on the line, we can move fast rather than wait for the next fundraising campaign.

We set a clear goal at the start of this season: raise $250,000 by December 31. [So far, our partners have given $???XX]. Every gift, large or small, is a brick in the wall of protection for Israeli families. If you have been meaning to give, this is the moment. Your decision before midnight can place equipment in the field at the right moment. It can fill shelves with supplies that will be used on a cold morning when a call comes in. It can fund shelters that shorten the distance between a siren and safety.

Please make your final gift of the year now so lifesaving help is ready on time.

Toda raba (thank you) for your faithfulness. As this year closes and the new one begins, we speak shalom over your home. Shalom is not only the absence of war. It is wholeness, peace, and well-being. May your generosity tonight be multiplied into protection and comfort for families who will need it most in the days ahead.

Shalom to you who choose to stand with Israel when it matters most.

Blessings upon you in 2026,
Barry & Batya

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

Final day: Help Vision for Israel reach the Emergency Fund goal so shelters, gear, and rapid response are ready in 2026. Give before midnight to save lives.

Midnight Matters: Help Save Lives | Vision for Israel

“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families.”

Dear Friends,

In two days, the calendar will turn, and this year’s window to prepare will close. The needs in Israel will not end with the bells, and danger will not pause for fireworks. That is why these two days matter. Readiness is built before a crisis. It is built by people who choose to act now so that someone else can live tomorrow. As we approach year-end, we are asking you to help us put the final pieces in place for the Emergency Fund that will drive our response in the months ahead.

On October 7, 2023, a young man named Yuval went to the Nova music festival to dance under a rising sun. What he thought were fireworks became the opening flashes of an attack. As he and his friends tried to escape down a narrow side road, a police officer shouted a warning: terrorists were racing straight toward them. The first convoy appeared. Bullets shredded the car. His friend Ron, in the back seat, was mortally wounded. Yuval and his other friend, Tamir, bailed out and ran. He flattened himself beneath a bush, forcing stillness while armed terrorists scanned for movement, then pushed himself to run again, though blood soaked his back. A stranger pulled him into a roadside safety shelter. Later, a resident from a nearby Moshav brought him to a safe room. Moments of refuge, stacked one on the next, became the difference between life and death.

Hours later, Yuval learned that Tamir had survived, but Ron had not. Guilt tried to root in his heart. He chose a different path. 

Even before that day, Yuval had begun serving elderly Israelis, especially Holocaust survivors, who had been left alone in the long isolation of COVID. After the massacre, he leaned in deeper, delivering essentials and, more importantly, time. 

With help from friends like you, Vision for Israel awarded Yuval a scholarship to continue his studies in the aftermath of trauma. Your generosity told him that his calling still mattered and that hope could take root again.

Yuval’s story captures what practical protection looks like. It looks like shelter placed where it is actually reachable in seconds. It looks like responders trained and equipped to move through danger. It looks like a network of people prepared to act. In a country where threats still simmer across several fronts and casualties occur every day, preparation is not fear. It is love made ready.

The last two years have been long. Families continue to grieve. Communities are still rebuilding. The war has stretched across multiple fronts, and there are casualties every day. In this reality, preparation is not optional. It is an expression of love for our neighbors. Since 1994, Vision for Israel has been serving in precisely these moments with a commitment to practical compassion. We exist to minister to a vulnerable population in crisis and to support the systems that protect life.

Because of your generosity, millions of shekels have been invested in protective gear, emergency equipment, and shelters for communities in the south and the north. We have placed medi-cycles that arrive when traffic stands still. We have supported emergency response squads that patrol neighborhoods. We have installed shelters near schools and community centers so the dash for safety is measured in steps, not city blocks. And we have supported families with basic needs and trauma care because the wounds of war are deep and persistent.

Yet the calls for help keep coming. MDA requests ambulances equipped for trauma. Municipal police ask for a reliable vehicle that can respond quickly. Emergency squads need vests and helmets that meet current standards. Communities ask for shelters where there are none. We cannot say to them, “Wait until next month.” When lives are at stake, delay is a decision with consequences.

This is where the Emergency Fund changes the story. The fund gives us the ability to say yes to urgent needs, to purchase equipment before supplies run short, to move resources where they will make the greatest difference, and to keep our commitments to the communities that rely on us. It is the backbone of our readiness for what may come tomorrow.

Our goal is to raise $250,000 by December 31. We are asking you to help us reach this goal so that, as the year closes, Israel’s families can step into the new year with greater protection. Your gift today equips those who will run toward danger when others are running away. It places equipment in the hands of volunteers and professionals who will keep watch through the night.

Please take a moment now to give a year-end gift to the Emergency Fund and get your tax benefits for 2025.

Toda raba for standing with us. As we finish the year, may your home be filled with peace and hope. Your generosity in these final hours will echo in the lives saved when the next siren sounds.


Shalom to you and yours,

Barry & Batya

“Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”

Only 2 days left: Help Vision for Israel reach the Emergency Fund goal so lifesaving gear and shelters are ready before the next crisis. Give before year-end.

Readiness Now. Rescue Tomorrow. | Vision for Israel

"The Lord watches over you; the Lord is your shade at your right hand."

Dear Friends,

As we approach the end of this challenging year, our hearts are full—with gratitude, and with a renewed sense of purpose. The war in Israel didn’t end, and the headlines hadn’t faded. For many families, it only deepened.

Today, we want to introduce you to one of those families.

Yaron* is a 33-year-old husband and father of a little boy. He lives in Ashdod and owns a small hair salon—the business he started with hope in January 2023. After years of living in Eilat, he and his wife Hila* returned to Ashdod to build a life closer to family. He worked hard to grow his client base. Every shekel counted. He was the family’s only income provider, and his wife stayed home to care for their young son.

Then, everything changed on October 7.

Yaron was called up as a combat reservist. Like thousands of others, he didn’t hesitate. He saw it as a mitzvah—his duty before God. But while he answered the call, his business stood still. And because his salon had operated for less than a year, he didn’t qualify for government aid for small businesses.

For three months, Yaron served without knowing how the bills would get paid. The rent on the salon. The cost of living. The mounting expenses.

When he returned, the salon was quiet. His clients had moved on. Once again, he started from scratch. But before he could rebuild, another round of reserve duty arrived. Then another.

This became the rhythm: serve for three months, come home, scramble to restart the business, get called back. Over and over.

With no steady income, Yaron and his family had to move in with Hila’s father. Their parents took out loans just to help them get by.

Through it all, Yaron never complained. He is proud to serve. He trusts God to provide. But the emotional weight on Hila and their child has been immense. While he’s away, she carries it all—raising their son, managing debt, wondering what news the next phone call will bring. Like so many other wives of reservists, she carries silent burdens every day.

That’s where Vision for Israel stepped in.

This year, thanks to your generous support, we began hosting therapeutic sessions for the wives of reserve soldiers. These are safe, professional spaces where women can breathe, rest, and find strength among others walking the same path.

In these sessions, Hila heard about other women whose husbands are serving and facing similar challenges… whose children cry at night from fear… who carry debt they didn’t ask for. Like the other women attending these sessions, she left feeling a little lighter. Not because everything was fixed, but because she knew she wasn’t alone—and that God had sent help.

These sessions are just one way your giving brings relief. Vision for Israel is supporting dozens of families like Yaron’s with:


Emotional care through therapy and support groups

Gift cards for food and household items to ease daily pressure

Financial support and practical aid for families in financial crisis

Activities for children, helping them process trauma in a safe and joyful way


But we need your help to continue.

The war’s impact is still unfolding. Reservists are still being called up. And their families still need support.

Will you make a year-end gift today to help more families like Yaron’s?

Please give your year-end gift before December 31.

Your donation will bring healing, hope, and tangible support to the ones left behind—wives, children, and the quiet heroes holding the home front together.

Thank you for walking with us. Your compassion is a light in this dark season.

With love and gratitude,
Barry & Batya

*Names have been changed.

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Join us in helping reserve soldiers’ families in Israel with therapeutic sessions and practical support. Give your year-end gift before December 31.

When a Father Serves, the Family Sacrifices | Vision for Israel

When a Father Serves, the Family Sacrifices

If you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will be like midday.

Dear Friends,

As we light the Hanukkah candles, we remember a miracle that shone against impossible odds. This season is a reminder that God’s light is not fragile. It does not flicker when the wind howls. In Israel today, we are still walking through the shadow of the war that began on October 7, 2023. Two years later, grief remains, and vigilance remains. Yet we also see small miracles whenever help arrives on time, whenever a shelter is close enough for a family to reach in seconds, and whenever a trained responder is ready with the right equipment at the right moment. That kind of readiness is a lamp that never fails.

Amid the darkness, a young paramedic named Amit chose to be light. On the morning of October 7, she sheltered wounded civilians in a dental clinic in Kibbutz Be’eri. Lines were jammed. Terrorists controlled the roads. She reached a dispatcher in Jerusalem who leveled with her: rescue might not reach them. Hours later, as gunfire surged and receded, Amit calmed a patient who tried to flee, knowing death waited beyond the door. Sometime in those hours, she was shot in the leg and applied a tourniquet to herself. Still, she stayed, treating the wounded God had placed in front of her. When terrorists finally breached the clinic, they murdered her. She was twenty-two years old. A survivor later said she had been “paradise in hell.”

Her story breaks our hearts, yet it also clarifies our calling. We cannot undo what happened. We can honor it by equipping those who will answer the next call. Readiness is not an idea. It is an ambulance with oxygen and trauma supplies kept in stock, a medi-cycle positioned where it will save minutes, a protective vest that will return a volunteer to his family, a shelter within reach when the siren sounds, and trauma care for survivors in the long tail of grief.

Vision for Israel exists to act before the siren. Since 1994, we have prepared for days like these. We do it so that when the worst happens, help is not an idea. Help is a person, a vehicle, a shelter, a kit, a phone call answered, a warm blanket in cold air. Over the last two years, we have invested millions of shekels to outfit emergency response squads, provide protective gear, deliver to first responders the supplies they asked for, and install safety shelters that mean a child has a place to go to find safety. We have also supported families with essentials and trauma care because wounds are not only physical.

The requests do not slow down. Every week brings appeals for ambulances and equipment that can save lives when seconds matter, for a suitable car for municipal police, for helmets and vests that meet current standards, and for the most basic yet life-preserving need of all: more shelters in more places. Communities in the south and the north know the sound of sirens and the pause between warning and impact. Those seconds are precious. Seconds decide whether a grandmother can reach safety. Seconds decide whether a medic can arrive in time with oxygen and a defibrillator.

We cannot predict the next strike. But we can be ready for it. Israel is facing threats across several fronts, and there are casualties every day. The war has stretched on longer than any in our modern history, and the costs are measured in tears and in courage. Readiness is not about fear. It is about love that plans ahead so that, when the dark tries to swallow the light, someone is already holding a lamp.

That is why we are bolstering our Emergency Fund in this season of light. The fund allows us to say yes when a municipality calls for an emergency vehicle and produce the funds that same week. It allows us to purchase protective gear when supply chains tighten. It allows us to pre-position shelters and ready trauma supplies. It allows us to move quickly rather than write reports while minutes slip away. In simple words, the Emergency Fund fills the jars so the oil does not run out when the night is longest.

Our goal this giving season is to raise $250,000 by December 31. [So far we raised $XX]. Your gift today will keep the light of readiness burning through the winter and into the year ahead. Imagine with us the scenes your generosity makes possible: an ambulance pulling up with its siren and a trained responder lifting a child from danger; a shelter positioned close by, providing protection just in time; an emergency response team fitting their new vests before a patrol; a dispatcher answering a call with the right resources already on their way. These are the quiet miracles that follow your kindness.


Please act now to strengthen the Emergency Fund.


Hannukah same’ach to you and your family. Toda raba for choosing to be a light that cannot be hidden. May your gift become an answer to a prayer whispered in fear and answered with help that arrives on time.

With gratitude,
Barry & Batya

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”

Help Vision for Israel keep lifesaving readiness burning. Fund shelters, protective gear, and rapid response through the Emergency Fund. Give today.

Together We Keep Watch | Vision for Israel

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Hanukkah arrives each year, inviting us to kindle light in public spaces—windows, doorways, town squares—and to say with quiet courage that God’s faithfulness still burns. Yet for many Jewish families around the world, this season now prompts a sober question: Is it safe to place the Hanukkiah where neighbors can see? Reports from community groups, campus monitors, and law enforcement have documented a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents in recent years, especially since late 2023, after the October 7th attack by Hamas. Parents weigh whether their children should wear a Star of David to school. Synagogues coordinate with security teams. Public menorah lightings sometimes require police presence. The simple act of lighting candles has once again become an act of testimony.

To understand why this matters, we return to what Hanukkah actually commemorates. In the second century BCE, the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed central commandments of Jewish life—Shabbat, circumcision, and study of Torah—and desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem. The Maccabees, a family of priestly leaders, rose in a grassroots revolt that reclaimed Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. The festival that followed, eight days of dedication, celebrates God’s faithfulness and the preservation of Jewish identity under intense pressure to assimilate. Later rabbinic tradition preserves the beloved story of the cruse of oil that burned for eight days. Whether one emphasizes the military victory or the miracle of light, Hanukkah remains a season of rededication to God’s covenant and to the visibility of His light in the world.

For followers of Yeshua, Hanukkah carries an added resonance. The Gospel of John mentions that Yeshua was present in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication. He spoke in the Temple courts, engaging openly with questions about identity and mission. That short mention reminds us that Hanukkah is part of the spiritual landscape of the New Testament world, rooted in Israel’s story of perseverance and worship in the face of coercion.  

“Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yeshua was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” - John 10:22-24

Have you noticed the connection between Hanukkah and the current rise in antisemitism? Notice how antisemitism adapts. It is not a single idea; it is a recurring pattern that recasts ancient hostility in modern terms. In one era, it accused the Jewish people of being too religious; in another, too secular. In one era, antisemitism wears the face of racial pseudoscience; in another, it emerges in conspiracy theories about finance, media, or globalism. At times, it targets the Jewish people’s faith and culture; at other times, it targets their national self-determination in the land of Israel. Different ideologies—far-right, far-left, and Islamist—can weaponize different myths, but the result is similar: Jewish people are singled out, maligned, excluded, threatened, or attacked simply for being Jewish.

Recent research summaries from well-known organizations and community audits in both the US and UK show patterns that should concern all people of goodwill: record-high incident counts; sharp increases in harassment, vandalism, and assault; spikes around Jewish holidays and moments of conflict in the Middle East; and especially strong surges in schools, universities, and online spaces. Public expressions of Jewish identity—synagogue attendance, Hebrew school drop-off, wearing a kippah, displaying a mezuzah, lighting a menorah—too often become flashpoints for intimidation. Even when most incidents are not violent, the cumulative effect is fear, isolation, and a gnawing sense that Jewish neighbors must hide.

The Hanukkah story speaks right here. The Maccabees’ central conviction was not merely opposition to cultural tyranny; it was the insistence that God’s people must worship God publicly, with faithfulness shaping daily life. The candles are intentionally placed where they can be seen. Tradition calls for publicizing the miracle. The light is for the house, yes, but it is also for the street. Not everyone can or should take the same risks; prudence is real, and every household must weigh its circumstances wisely. Still, Hanukkah’s calling is not secrecy but holy visibility. Where antisemitism says, “Hide who you are,” Hanukkah replies, “Rededicate who you are to the Lord, and let your light shine.”

Christian Solidarity and the Call to Stand with Israel

This season asks for more than sympathy. It invites solidarity rooted in Scripture and conscience. That begins with clarity of mind and speech. Antisemitism is not only personal hatred; it also includes narratives that deny the Jewish people’s right to live and flourish as Jews, whether in their communities abroad or in their ancestral homeland, Israel. Critique of any government is a normal part of civic life; demonization of a people is not. When double standards, dehumanizing language, or calls to erase Jewish presence appear, Christians should recognize those as warning signs. Silence in such moments does not feel “neutral” to Jewish neighbors; it feels like abandonment.

Solidarity also takes the shape of hospitality. Reach out to Jewish friends and local congregations. Attend a public menorah lighting. Write a note to a rabbi or a community center. If your church hosts educational forums, include Jewish voices and credible experts on the nature of antisemitism. Teach your children and youth to discern online rhetoric, to spot conspiracy tropes, and to challenge unfair targeting of classmates. Where possible, partner with organizations that provide real help: trauma counseling, legal support, school security, assistance to vulnerable families, care for survivors of terror, and relief for communities under strain.

We can learn practical wisdom as well. Verify sources; do not share sensational content just because it confirms what you already suspect. Be wary of memes and out-of-context clips. Remember that Jewish communities are diverse; do not assume that one person or one headline speaks for all. When you see a double standard—one set of rules for the world’s only Jewish state and another for every other country—name it. When you hear someone dismiss a synagogue attack as mere “property damage,” remind them that such desecrations have always been precursors to worse.

Hanukkah also calls us to hope. The shamash—the helper candle—lights all the others. It exists to serve. That is a profound picture for anyone who bears the Messiah’s name. The light you share may be a conversation with a fearful neighbor, a meal delivered to a displaced family, a scholarship for a child affected by terror, or a donation that equips first responders and strengthens communities in Israel. Each act becomes a small flame against the darkness.

At Vision for Israel, we are committed to being the shamash. In the wake of terror attacks and ongoing threats, we have distributed food and hygiene packages, equipped first responders and civilian security teams, and placed safety shelters in conflict areas. In holiday seasons, we provided store vouchers so families can choose essentials with dignity, warm clothing and winter kits, and practical assistance to make celebration possible. From the Millennium Center, our humanitarian logistics center, we continue to identify the places of greatest need and respond quickly with compassion and accountability. These are not abstract gestures; they are specific, measurable acts of mercy that help real people breathe again.

If you are asking, “What can I do right now?” here is one faithful answer: help us keep the candles burning in homes that might otherwise go dark. Your generosity provides shelter during a rocket attack, a child receive a hot meal, a reserve soldier receive counseling after trauma, a family sit down to a holiday meal, and a volunteer medic arrive with lifesaving gear. It strengthens the fabric of Israeli society precisely where hatred tries to tear it.

Please consider making a gift today so that, together, we can push back the darkness with tangible love for the people of Israel. Give securely here.

Chanukah Same’ach—may we rededicate our hearts as we rededicate our homes, and may His Spirit empower us to stand with wisdom, courage, and joy.

“At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.”

In this newest blog, we explore Hanukkah’s light amid rising antisemitism. Read on to learn, pray, stand with Israel, and see how you can help out.

Rekindling Courage in a Season of Light | Vision for Israel

“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”

Dear Friends,

On the evening of December 14, Jewish families around the world will kindle the first Hanukkah light. We’ll gather around tables, tell stories of God’s faithfulness, and watch the glow of the candles push back the early winter night. Hanukkah is the Feast of Lights and also a feast of home, of warmth, and of family. Yet for many children in Israel this winter, the table is bare, the apartment is cold, and the sense of safety is fragile.

In November, we shared about a new initiative within our feeding program: partnering with local “Warm House” centers that welcome children at risk after school. These hubs offer what every child needs to thrive—a hot, nutritious meal; a quiet place to study; caring adults who are present and consistent; and a safe, supervised environment to breathe, laugh, and heal. When a child arrives hungry and leaves nourished in body and spirit, that single evening can change the next morning.

Families are still rebuilding their lives after the upheavals of the past two years. Some remain displaced, and many children wake in fear and uncertainty. In this environment, the simplest acts—sitting down to a steaming bowl of soup, hearing someone call your name with kindness, finding a place at a real table—become lifelines.

Because of your generosity, Vision for Israel has a proven track record of responding quickly and compassionately. From our logistics center, we mobilized within hours to deliver relief to survivors and evacuees. Thousands received food staples, hygiene items, baby supplies, and store vouchers for dignity of choice, while children and parents accessed counseling and safe spaces to begin healing. That same commitment to practical mercy is what drives this Warm House initiative.

Here is what your help will make possible in a Warm House: consistent hot meals for school nights so that children can concentrate and grow; wholesome snacks that sustain energy for homework and play, and the steady presence of trained staff and volunteers who know the children by name. Together, we can equip these centers to serve more kids each week, keep kitchens stocked, and ensure every plate carries both nutrition and dignity.

Hanukkah teaches us that even a small flame can light an entire room. When we place one candle in the window, we declare that darkness does not win. Every hot meal, every seat pulled up to the table, every caring voice saying “We’re glad you’re here” is a candle set in a child’s night. When a community Warm House fills with laughter and the smell of freshly cooked food, we catch a glimpse of what restoration can look like.

Our prayer is to multiply that light across Israel’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. One Warm House can brighten a street; several can brighten a city. And when you add your light to ours, a miracle can unfold that is every bit as real as oil that burned longer than expected: children who came in anxious leave at peace; children who came in hungry leave filled; children who felt unseen discover they are cherished.

The annual cost of the feeding program is 80,000 ILS (about $24,500) per home. Our goal is to help more than one Warm House. Will you join us in reaching Israel's most vulnerable and bring light into their darkness? Please give generously today so that more children can sit down to a warm meal, a safe space, and a hopeful tomorrow. 


Hanukkah Sameach,

Barry & Batya

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in."

This Hanukkah, help Vision for Israel provide Warm House centers with hot meals and safe care for at-risk children. Be the light—give hope and nourishment today.

Feast of Lights, Table of Hope | Vision for Israel

“Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded… your children will return from the land of the enemy.”

Dear Friends,

This month’s Israel in Focus brings you one of the many untold stories of courage and heartbreak from October 7, one that did not make headlines for long but has left a permanent mark on the heart of a nation. Their horrific terror experience reminds us why our support continues to bless those who have emotional injuries. We believe it is time to restore dignity, hope, and healing across this land, and to stand in prayerful solidarity with the people of Israel.

Omri Miran, 48, is a father, a husband, a therapist, and now, a former hostage. He lived in Kibbutz Nahal Oz with his wife Lishai and their two daughters, Roni and Alma. A few years ago, Omri and Lishai met at a Purim party in Sderot. It was March 2020, days before the world shut down for COVID, and the two formed a fast and deep connection. They married, started a family, and built a life just kilometers from the Gaza border, a life filled with joy and simplicity.

Omri had a small studio where he offered shiatsu therapy and also worked as a construction laborer on the kibbutz. He was a man who used his hands to build, to heal, and to serve his community.

On the morning of October 7, 2023, that quiet life was shattered.

At 10:30 a.m., the window above the shower exploded. Outside, footsteps and shouts in Arabic filled the air. Terrorists had entered the kibbutz. The family held their breath as the chaos crept closer. Then came a voice they knew: “It’s me, Tomer. Please open the door, or they will shoot you and me.” It was 17-year-old Tomer Arava, their neighbor’s son, used by the attackers as a human shield.

Omri and Lishai made a desperate decision. Their daughter, Roni, had fallen asleep just in front of the door. If gunmen opened fire, she would be the first to suffer. Omri opened the door.

Armed terrorists stormed in and forced the family into the living room. Then they were marched to a nearby home belonging to the Idan family. Already grieving the murder of their daughter, Ma’ayan, the Idans now share in the unfolding horror. Roni, just a toddler, was paralyzed with fear. Alma, only six months old, cried with hunger. The gunmen demanded that Lishai breastfeed Alma for a photo. She refused.

At around 1:30 p.m., the scene shifted again. More terrorists arrived, this time with Yehudit and Natalie Ra’anan, a mother and daughter from Chicago who had come to visit. The gunmen bound the hands of Omri and Tzachi. Lishai realized what was about to happen. She wasn’t allowed to approach him, so she did what any wife and mother would do. She spoke words that carried the weight of their love and the hope of survival:
“I love you. I will protect our girls. I am waiting for you… ”

He was taken hostage with great violence by the terrorists.

Roni screamed, “Abba! I want my dad!” She tried to run after him, wild with grief. At just two years old, she understood the terror in the room. By 5:30 p.m., after eleven unbearable hours, IDF soldiers from the Givati Brigade stormed the building and rescued the remaining family members. But Omri had already been taken hostage into Gaza.

For 738 days, Omri was a hostage who was tortured by hamas terror group. 

Omri was moved between 23 different locations, held both above ground and in Hamas’ tunnels. Early on, he was shackled. For three weeks, he could not walk freely. At one point, five hostages were crammed into a cage only 1.80 by 1.60 meters. They could not stand upright. They could barely breathe. They were starved. They gave them dirty, salty seawater to drink. Slowly, one by one, the other men were taken, leaving Omri and one other hostage alone.

There were moments when the terrorists left weapons nearby, an invitation to make a desperate move. But Omri knew it would not lead to freedom. It would only make things worse.

To hold on to his sanity, Omri marked each day in his mind. He never wrote it down. He simply counted. He knew exactly how many days had passed.

But the thing that truly kept him going was imagining the simplest things: playing with Roni, holding Alma, hearing their laughter, being near his wife again. He focused on those moments, those blessings, because they reminded him that there was still life to return to.

A message finally reached his family on Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was also his birthday. A sign of life. A heartbeat of hope.

Then, on October 13, 2025, Omri Miran was released. He returned to his wife and daughters. The family moved to a semi-temporary home in Kramim—Omri, free and breathing fresh air once more.

One week later, Omri spoke publicly for the first time. He said:
"I returned to Israel, to life, and I discovered that everyone knows me. I don’t know each and every one of you, but I saw you. I got glimpses of the fight you waged for me and the other hostages. I saw you standing in the square, at intersections, all over the country, and for that, people of Israel, a huge thank you. I have no words to describe how much I love you and appreciate you for not giving up on us."

He expressed deep gratitude to the IDF, the security services, and the people of Israel. And then he made a vow: to do everything in his power until the last hostage comes home.

Today, Omri is healing. Roni is now 4 years old. Alma is two. Their family is together again. But they are forever changed.

We share this story not to stir fear, but to stir faith.

Omri’s story represents resilience and hope. Although we cannot undo the darkness of that day, together we can light candles of hope in homes across Israel. We can stand with the brokenhearted. We can proclaim freedom and restoration.

Please continue to pray for every released hostage, every family, and for peace to reign over Israel.

If you feel led, we invite you to partner with us in providing vital aid to those most in need. Give today.


With gratitude,
Barry & Batya

“Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives rescued from the fierce? … I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.”

In this newest edition of Israel in Focus, we share the very courageous story and return of former hostage Omri Miran. Read on for the full story.

A Father’s Courage in the Face of Terror | Vision for Israel

A Father’s Courage in the Face of Terror

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

Dear Friends,

We’re honored to share a beautiful answer to prayer, and invite you to help us set the table for Israel’s most vulnerable little ones. In partnership with an organization that cares for children at risk, the Warm House project is a feeding program that we are launching. This is also our year-end giving kickoff, and it couldn’t be more timely.

The Warm House model has quietly served children for three decades across Israel, adapting to changing needs while keeping one constant: dedicated, sensitive, and warm care. Together, we are beginning by sponsoring one Warm House in central Israel that will serve 15 precious children, ages 3–6.

Many of these children come from homes marked by violence and chronic nutritional deficiency. That’s why the Warm House provides more than food, where each child receives three nourishing meals a day. The program also builds resilience through value-based education, healthy communication, and language development. Children learn to live without violence, to care for their bodies, to practice personal and environmental hygiene, and to grow vital life skills and social confidence.

Each Warm House operates Sunday–Thursday from 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM, and on holidays from morning hours. A seasoned team, including a leading teacher, a devoted “house mother,” and a social worker, cares for up to 20 children per home, offering unconditional warmth, attentive listening, and tailored enrichment led by professional instructors. It’s multicultural by design, serving disadvantaged families from every sector of Israeli society according to socio-economic need.

When a child is fed, seen, and loved, everything can change. The Warm House has a long record of children becoming adults who succeed with dignity. That is the future we want to multiply.

Here is the practical need: it costs 80,000 ILS (about $24,500) to operate one Warm House for a full year. That includes purchasing food, preparing the meals in the home’s kitchen, and paying the house mother for her work. By God’s grace and your partnership, we intend to fully sponsor this first home—and, in time, more.

As we enter the season of light, would you help us set a table of hope? Your year-end gift will nourish bodies and shape futures, turning hunger into health and fear into confidence. Every gift moves us closer to fully funding this home for the year.

Please make your year-end gift today so that 15 little ones can eat, learn, and heal in a truly warm home.


With gratitude and love,

Barry & Batya

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

P.S.
Kick off year-end giving to feed 15 Israeli children. Give now: https://www.visionforisrael.com/en/donate.

Join us in feeding 15 at-risk children in Israel this year as we partner with a Warm House. Give now. Your year-end gift brings hope to children in need.

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.

Even in the most difficult times, God is at work in the Land of Israel—and so are His people. This Impact Report is a glimpse into what faith in action looks like: ordinary lives transformed by extraordinary compassion. Through every challenge, your prayers and support have made a difference. As you read, we hope you’re reminded that light still shines in the darkness—and that together, we are part of something eternal.

This summer, Vision for Israel distributed 912 high-quality schoolbags to first graders across Israel through our Pack to School initiative. Working with local municipalities and welfare offices, we identified families of low socioeconomic status and coordinated respectful, dignified distributions. Each child received a sturdy backpack with a protective back shield and a matching kit: pencil case, water bottle, and lunch box. 

The designs delighted the kids, helping build excitement for the first day of school. Distributions spanned cities in central and southern Israel. Beyond supplies, the project affirmed to each family that they are seen and supported. By equipping children with the tools they need—both practical and emotional—we’re helping them begin their educational journey with confidence, belonging, and joy.

In August, we hosted a special evening at the Millennium Center for reservists’ families—about 190 participants, including 80 children entering first grade. Families traveled from near and far to share a generous dinner, fellowship, and a night of wonder. Kids enjoyed juggling, archery workshops, a VR and multimedia zone, and a comic circus show that filled the room with laughter. 

Each child received a premium schoolbag and kit (pencil case, water bottle, and lunch box), ensuring they start school prepared and proud. The event, held in cooperation with the brigade team, offered more than fun and gifts. It created a space to honor the sacrifice of reservists and the resilience of their children—young heroes waiting patiently for their father’s safe return. Parents expressed heartfelt thanks, sharing how the evening strengthened their families and renewed hope. Smiles, full hearts, and equipped students were the greatest reward.

Our annual scholarship ceremony took on deeper meaning this year as approximately 80% of recipients are survivors of the October 7, 2023, attacks. We met young men and women whose lives changed in an instant—students determined to continue their studies despite profound emotional and financial challenges. 

The evening included refreshments, warm greetings, and a captivating lecture by a Guinness World Record holder in memory techniques, offering practical tools for learning and focus. The heart of the event was the awarding of scholarships and the moving testimonies from recipients—stories of grief, courage, perseverance, and the hope of a renewed future. Scholarships help cover tuition and educational costs, but they also communicate something more: you are not alone. Vision for Israel remains committed to standing with terror survivors—providing both tangible support and community—so they can reclaim their dreams, rebuild stability, and move forward with dignity into a new season of life.

At the Millennium Center, we dedicated a new-generation Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) ambulance to Magen David Adom—specially designed for multi-casualty events and equipped with two treatment beds. This is the first ambulance donated to MDA in the new Jewish year and the 16th ambulance Vision for Israel has donated over the years—another milestone in our 31 years of strengthening national resilience. Senior MDA leaders, officials from the Modi’in Municipality, and community guests joined the ceremony. 

Barry and Batya emphasized VFI’s unwavering commitment to saving lives and supporting Israel’s emergency infrastructure. This advanced vehicle significantly enhances rapid response and coordinated care in complex incidents, helping first responders stabilize multiple patients simultaneously. We see this as a sacred trust: to invest in readiness before crisis strikes. Through continued partnership with MDA, we’re building capacity that protects communities, shortens response times, and gives every Israeli a greater chance when seconds matter most.

As Israel prepared for Rosh Hashanah—a season of renewal and family gatherings—our team distributed over 1,200 gift cards to households facing financial hardship. Holiday meals can be an overwhelming burden for single-parent families, people with physical or mental disabilities, the sick, elderly, and others in need. We partnered with local authorities and community leaders across the country to ensure support reached the right families in time. 

The gift cards preserve dignity by allowing recipients to choose their own holiday essentials—fresh produce, proteins, and festive items—so they can celebrate with joy. Many expressed heartfelt thanks for the personal care, saying the help arrived just when it was most needed. Together, we transformed worry into welcome, filling hearts and homes with hope.

Q3 2025 highlights: 912 schoolbags, support for reservists’ families, scholarships for terror survivors, a dual-bed MICU ambulance, and holiday gift cards.

Provision, Protection, and Promise | Vision for Israel

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Dear Friends,

As Thanksgiving approaches across the United States, we pause to remember that gratitude is more than a feeling—it’s a way of life that overflows into courageous love for our neighbors. In a world jolted by conflict and confusion, thankful hearts become faithful hands. We worship the Lord for His steadfast love, and then we step forward to reflect that love, especially toward the Jewish people who today often face hostility simply for being who they are—Jewish.

In recent seasons, headlines have told a sobering story: synagogues defaced with hateful symbols in Europe; Jewish students harassed on university campuses in the US; families intimidated on public transport for wearing a Kippah or Star of David; kosher shops vandalized; and online incitement spilling into threats and violence. These reports grieve us—not only because they target the Jewish community, but because they strike at the heart of human dignity. Antisemitism is an old hatred wearing new clothes, and it demands a clear, compassionate response from those who love truth.

How can we, as followers of Yeshua, push back against this darkness? We begin in prayer—standing on God’s promises and interceding for protection, peace, and wisdom. We speak truth in love, gently but firmly correcting falsehoods when we hear them. We show up—checking in on Jewish friends and neighbors, ensuring they feel seen and safe. We advocate—asking leaders, schools, and local councils to protect vulnerable communities. We learn and teach—sharing Scripture and facts, helping others understand Israel’s story and the Jewish people’s ongoing resilience. And we give to works of compassion that turn love into tangible help.

One way your gratitude can become a life-saving action is through ambulances that serve communities across Israel. By God’s grace—and because of friends like you—Vision for Israel has now donated 16 emergency vehicles to Magen David Adom. Most recently, we were honored to present a new, one-of-a-kind MICU (Mobile Intensive Care Unit) ambulance. This unique unit is built for mass-casualty response and can treat two people at the same time rather than one, doubling critical care when minutes mean everything.

These ambulances carry advanced medical technology and trained teams who bring calm into chaos—first on the scene after terror attacks, traffic collisions, or sudden medical crises. Sirens wail, doors open, and hope steps out. In those urgent moments, your generosity is present in every oxygen tank, monitor, stretcher, and expertly trained medic. You are there—in the neighborhood, at the roadside, beside the frightened mother, the wounded soldier, the elderly neighbor—whispering, “You’re not alone.”

This Thanksgiving season, would you let gratitude move you again—from prayer to action? Your gift today equips first responders, strengthens communities, and stands against the spirit of antisemitism with visible compassion. Together, we can keep these ambulances fueled, maintained, and ready to save lives—so that fear is met, again and again, by love on wheels. Please give now.

Todah rabah for your faithfulness, your prayers, and your sacrificial support. May your Thanksgiving table be filled with joy, and may the Lord multiply your kindness. 


With deep gratitude,
Barry & Batya

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

This Thanksgiving, turn gratitude into action. To date, VFI has donated 16 life-saving ambulances to MDA. Help fund lifesaving ambulances in Israel. Give today.

Gratitude that Becomes Rescue | Vision for Israel

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Dear Friends,

At 6:30 a.m. on October 7, 2023, Yuval Siman Tov looked up from the dancefloor at the Nova festival and saw what he thought were fireworks streaking the sky. The music cut, the DJ’s voice came over the speakers: “Lie down”. For a beat, everyone hoped it was only rockets—that the party would resume, that the morning would return to normal. Then a policeman shouted: “Evacuate—now!”. Chaos swallowed the field. People ran in every direction, tripping over mats and chairs, choking on dust, clutching hands so they wouldn’t be torn apart. Cars jammed the exit like pebbles in a narrow stream, engines screaming, horns blaring, no way out but forward. 

Yuval and his friends—Tamir at the wheel, and Ron in the back—tried a side road, a thin ribbon through low hills. A police car edged ahead, then slowed. They went around. The officer pounded on his door, shouting over the wind: “terrorists are coming straight at you”. Yuval yelled, ”Turn around!” and as they swung south, the first convoy of terrorists appeared: motorcycles, ATVs, a truck with a mounted machine gun. The air filled with metal. “We bent our heads,” Yuval said, “and the first bullets hit.” Glass burst like shrapnel glitter; hundreds of rounds stitched the car. In the back seat, Ron groaned, clutching his stomach—“Guys, I’m dying.”

The shooting paused. Tamir tried to restart the car; the engine wouldn’t start. Hearts fell like stones. They had to run. Yuval spilled from the passenger side, felt the blistering quiet of a second, then the crack of more shots. He saw Ron dying and couldn’t speak. Terrorists turned to fire on the next line of cars; others advanced from the south. Yuval grabbed Tamir’s hand. “Run. Run, run, run.”

At last, he dropped into a bush, chest to dirt, face angled toward the asphalt, pretending to be dead. For twenty minutes, he dared not blink. He watched cars crumple and exhale smoke; watched people being dragged from seats and being shot; watched small, final movements stop. One gunman stepped out from the trees and leveled his weapon at Yuval from fifty meters, eyes on Yuval’s stillness—then a voice from the road called him back. The barrel lowered. The footsteps receded.

The pain in Yuval’s back found him then, sharp and blooming. He stripped off his sweatshirt—it was soaked in blood. Two holes pocked his shirt near the spine. Dizzy and alone, he thought: if I’m going to die, let me try first to survive. He crawled, then somehow stood, then somehow ran. On an inner road, a jeep appeared. He raised his hands, half-naked and bleeding, turned to show his back. The driver slowed, then rolled on— thinking Yuval was a threat, Yuval thinking the same of him. “Please save me!” Yuval shouted. The driver stepped out, weapon trained, and demanded a name. “I’m Yuval, from Rehovot. Please—save me.” The man circled, checked for a weapon, then opened a door and let Yuval in his car. Shortly after, he pushed Yuval into a roadside safety shelter. The roar outside faded; the loneliness did not.

Forty minutes later, rescue arrived—a resident from nearby Moshav Yesha who took Yuval to his home and took him to a safe room. Yuval’s phone lit with a miracle: Tamir calling. “I can’t believe it,” Yuval cried. “You’re alive.” “I can’t believe you’re alive,” Tamir answered. Joy lasted a breath, then grief swallowed it: Ron was gone. As the hours unwound, the questions tightened like wire. Should I have dragged him out? Why him and not me? At Ron’s funeral, Yuval took his father’s hand; the father pulled him into an aching embrace. “It wouldn’t have helped anyone,” he whispered, “if instead of two there were zero.”

Guilt tried to take root. Yuval would not let it flower. Even before October 7, he had started a small nonprofit linking youth with elderly Israelis—especially Holocaust survivors—who had been left behind, shut in through long months of COVID, their eyes carrying the weight of being unseen. After the massacre, he leaned closer to them. He sat and listened to stories no one else could bear, delivering essentials and, more than that, time. “We all experienced murder in front of our eyes,” he said. “Hatred and anger. Neglect. We need to stick together.” Serving them steadied him. Their endurance taught him to breathe again.

Because friends like you refused to look away, Vision for Israel could come alongside Yuval in the months that followed. Your generosity helped us award him a scholarship to continue his university studies—one step toward the future he nearly lost on that road. It didn’t erase the scars or mend every memory. But it did say: your life matters; your calling remains; your hands can still carry hope to the lonely.

If you feel led, please help us lift more survivors and students like Yuval with scholarships, trauma care, and practical support. Give today to Vision for Israel — your gift will help plant new life in scorched places. Thank you for being a refuge for the brokenhearted in Israel.

Am Yisrael Chai!
Barry & Batya

“To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning… that He may be glorified.”

Read Yuval’s Oct. 7 survival and how a VFI scholarship fuels his healing and service to Holocaust survivors. Help more students in Israel today—donate now.

From the Fire to a Future: Yuval’s Scholarship of Hope | Vision for Israel

From the Fire to a Future: Yuval’s Scholarship of Hope

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Dear Friends,

As the High Holidays pass and daily routines return, Israel’s reality remains anything but routine. We have just marked two years since October 7. The war in Gaza stretched on for two long years, and with each passing month, the burden grew heavier. The nation is still hurting, praying, and striving to hold fast to hope.

Even as the ceasefire went into effect, Vision for Israel is sponsoring and hosting therapeutic sessions for soldiers living with PTSD—and for their spouses who carry invisible wounds of their own. These are safe spaces of care, clinical support, and community—places where tears are welcomed, and God’s comfort is invited to do its quiet work.

We’d like you to meet a few of the families your love can help:

A self-employed reservist from northern Israel, a handyman who was called up five times since the fighting began. His small business nearly closed; debts to suppliers mount. His wife has been caring for two children alone—one with special needs—straining to keep the home afloat emotionally and financially.

A reservist who enlisted on the first day of the war. After a brief return, he was drafted again. His employer couldn’t hold his position and let him go. Debts accumulated; his wife now bears the whole financial load.

A young couple from central Israel. He is a reserve officer. She is a teacher on maternity leave with a 3-month-old baby and a 2-year-old toddler. A serious complication at birth kept her hospitalized for a long time. With repeated call-ups and no family support nearby, she faces daily uncertainty, raising two little ones largely on her own.

A soldier from the Gaza Envelope community. His family was evacuated and has not yet returned home; they’re still in temporary housing. He recently left for a fifth round of reserve duty. His wife and children, all wrestling with post-traumatic stress since October 7, are in ongoing treatments, longing for a normal life that still feels out of reach.


These are not headlines; they’re households—beloved image-bearers of God. Our therapeutic groups help restore sleep, calm anxiety, repair marriages, and reconnect parents with their children. We pair trauma-informed care with encouragement, creating a pathway from survival to resilience.

Two years on, we cannot grow weary in doing good. Your gift today will directly sponsor counseling sessions, group therapy, and follow-up support that keep families steady between deployments and demobilizations.

Will you stand with us now to bring comfort where the ache is deepest? Give securely here. 

Your partnership is a lifeline. Thank you for helping carry the burden until the storm passes and the captives—body, mind, and spirit—are made whole.


With gratitude,
Barry & Batya

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Messiah.

Two years after Oct 7, help fund PTSD care for Israeli soldiers and their spouses. Read on to see what you can do to stand with families and give hope today.

Back to Routine, Still in Battle | Vision for Israel

Dear Friends,

Welcome to our new series, Israel in Focus—short, clear teachings that bring context and truth to complex moments in Israel’s story. As we just commemorated two years since October 7, 2023, we chose to begin with it. That day—Simchat Torah on the Jewish calendar—is a holy day meant for Torah, joy, and dancing. Instead, at daybreak, Israel awoke to a coordinated, multi-front terrorist assault launched by Hamas and other terror groups from the Gaza Strip.

Around 6:30 a.m., the first waves of rockets screamed into Israeli towns and cities. Within four hours, more than 3,000 rockets had been fired, forcing families into safe rooms and shelters. Under this cover of chaos, between 5,000 and 5,600 terrorists breached Israel’s southern border along a 60-kilometer front. They used tractors to tear through the separation fence, paragliders to leap over it, and arrived heavily armed with RPGs and other weapons.

Twenty-nine towns and kibbutzim came under attack. Among the earliest and hardest-hit locations were the Nova festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Sderot, Kibbutz Nir Oz, Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Kibbutz Be’eri. At the same time, twelve army positions and bases were targeted to sever communications, slow reinforcements, and leave civilians defenseless.

The result was carnage. Terrorists committed atrocities against humanity—slaughter, rape, burning, destruction, and looting. For long, desperate hours, many Israeli civilians had no one to reach. Police stations and IDF units were also under fire. Families huddled in safe rooms; some were burned alive or murdered where they hid.

In those first hours, the first line of defense was not the military but the local emergency response teams—neighbors and volunteers who ran toward danger to shield their communities. Only after many hours did IDF soldiers break through to the affected areas, fight building by building, and rescue those who were still alive.

Among those ordinary heroes was a man whose story we carry with reverence—a brother-in-law who, by divine timing and sheer selfless courage, saved the lives of his entire extended family.

That morning, as rockets thundered overhead, one family found themselves hiding in a bomb shelter in Ofakim, paralyzed with fear. But outside the door, their beloved brother-in-law, Ariel, was moving. He had seen what was coming. He had gathered weapons, taking it upon himself to defend not only his own home but theirs as well.

At some point, terrorists approached. He was alone—but he stood in their path. He engaged them, firing his weapon, holding them back with nothing but his courage and determination. Because of his stand, the family was able to flee their safe room and run for their lives. Every second he bought with his resistance became a second that carried them further from death. And then, the last bullet. The last breath.

He fell there, outside the shelter he had protected, but because he stood where he did, the rest of the family lived. His actions were not just brave—they were sacred. He laid down his life so that others could rise up and live. That is the kind of love no enemy can destroy.

It was only hours later, after a harrowing escape, that his family learned the truth: he had remained behind. He had faced the enemy alone. And he had done it all to save them.

His is just one of thousands of stories from that dark day—stories of valor, heartbreak, rescue, and loss. But it helps us see the reality behind the headlines: that each statistic is a soul, each tragedy a family.

In the days immediately following, Israel’s south became a landscape of grief and grit—burned homes, shattered windows, abandoned vehicles amid fields of ash. Evacuated families arrived in unfamiliar hotel rooms with little more than the clothes they wore. Children woke to nightmares, flinching at every slam of a door. Parents tried to be strong while making impossible phone calls, waiting for news of loved ones, and navigating a maze of emergency needs.

Here is the stark toll of that day:
• 251 people taken hostage
• 1,697 murdered
• 19,019 injured
• 143,000 evacuated from their homes
• 300,000 reserve soldiers called up

This is where the compassion of God’s people, expressed through practical help, makes all the difference. At Vision for Israel, we mobilized our team and partners to meet urgent needs for the displaced and the bereaved. Working from our logistics center, The Millennium Center, we assembled and distributed relief packages with hygiene items, food staples, clothing, bedding, and baby supplies to families who had lost everything. We provided store vouchers so parents could choose essentials with dignity. We supported trauma-care initiatives for children and families, helping them begin the long journey of healing with counseling, safe activities, and tools to process fear and grief.

We also helped equip first responders and community emergency teams with protective gear and essentials, and we assisted evacuees as they resettled—supplying school materials for displaced students, and ongoing food support as the weeks stretched into months. During the fall feasts and beyond, we have been delivering gift cards and comfort items to remind families that they were seen, remembered, and loved.

Your prayers and partnership turned compassion into action. Each box delivered, each gift card placed into a parent’s hands, each hour of trauma support—these are seeds of restoration. When the world seemed to fracture on October 7, the body of Messiah bound up the wounds, one act of mercy at a time.

As we remember October 7, we ask you to keep praying for the release of the hostages who have been held captive for over 2 years. We also recommit to healing what was shattered—homes, hearts, and hope. If your heart is stirred to stand with Israel in this season of rebuilding, your gift will bring practical help and real comfort to survivors, children, and families still carrying the weight of that day.

Give today to provide urgent aid, trauma care, and long-term support.

Chag Sukkot Same’ach!

With gratitude,
Barry & Batya 

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Israel in Focus: A compassionate, detailed account of October 7 and VFI’s relief for survivors. Stand with Israel—donate now to bring hope and healing.

Israel in Focus: October 7th and the First Hours of War | Vision for Israel

Israel in Focus: October 7th and the First Hours of War

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.

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