Dec 28, 2023

Beit Issie Shapiro Supports People With Disabilities Who Are Impacted by the War

“Physically, my family is okay. Mentally, it’s a completely different story,” said Ashira Greszes. Her toddler, Yedidya, attends gan (kindergarten) at Federation beneficiary agency Beit Issie Shapiro, an innovator in services for adults and children with disabilities that now provides free emotional therapy and respite visits to hundreds of people impacted by the war in Israel.

For the general population evacuated from conflict zones, this is a time of uncertainty, fear and trauma. For those with disabilities and their families, the difficulties are amplified and their special needs are greater than before. Of the 1.5 million people with disabilities in Israel, 48,000 live in the Gaza Envelope and another 5,000 live in war-affected areas in the north. During the war, the Jewish Federations of North America continue to fund 15 organizations that meet the acute needs of people with disabilities, including Beit Issie Shapiro, which provides essential services to more than 2,000 clients and their families.

“I don’t know how people can go on in this kind of state without emotional support,” shared Ashira. Since the war began, Yedidya has become petrified of noises. If a dog barks, he won’t sleep. “For a two-year-old who doesn’t understand why he’s running downstairs to a shelter when he hears a loud noise, having his teacher explain it to him in a way that he understands and creating a sense of normalcy have given us so much,” Ashira relayed. “The fact that we have Beit Issie behind us, even though they themselves are going through things, changes everything.”

Click here to help others like Ashira and her son Yedidya by donating to the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign.