“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat”

(Matt. 25:35)

Yeshua our Messiah said: “The poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good” (Mk. 14:7).

Living in Jerusalem in the twenty-first century, we are privileged to be able to help the community in which we live in a very practical way. While we perhaps do not have as many widows as did the early community, we do have many people around us whom we can serve by “waiting on tables” (cf. Acts 6:1-6).

Netivyah’s soup kitchen began in 2000, when the need was recognized for material help and support, primarily within the community of believers. It was in this year that the Al-Aksa Intifada broke out, and all the violence directly damaged the country’s economy. We began to witness increasing numbers of people becoming unemployed and unable to earn enough to put bread on their tables. The strain on the economy was further increased by budget cuts and other measures, which impacted the lowest income families in the worst way.

We thank God that He has provided us not only with “ministers of the word,” from whom we receive spiritual nourishment, but also with people of “good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom”, to whom we have entrusted the task of taking care of those in need. With these devoted workers we have been able to establish a soup kitchen which provides hot take away meals, sufficient for a whole week at a time, to the needy, as well as operating as a food bank for those who are still able to cook for themselves. Over the last 10 years, our soup kitchen ministry has grown from about 12 regular weekly recipients to over 500 weekly recipients. This ministry is not set up precisely with a traditional soup kitchen structure in which hungry people come to sit down and eat lunch, etc. For many people, our soup kitchen functions more like a food bank from which they receive food supplies once a week and use to cook their own meals at home. Depending on the number of adults and children who are old enough to eat a more "adult" quantity of food in a household, the family is assigned a number of "portions" that they receive every week. A family member usually comes to our facility on Wednesdays to pick up the correct number of portions for his or her household. Each weekly portion consists of 1 kilo of chicken or fish, 1 kilo of fruits, 1 kilo of vegetables, 1 kilo of rice or pasta, and sometimes long life milk and a cake. The idea is that each family member can have one good hot meal a day for a week with the food we give them. When all these numbers are calculated at the end of a month, the quantities are staggering. Each month we are distributing a total of 5.5 tons of food in this manner.

For the elderly and those too sick to cook for themselves we also cook hot food on the premises and distribute it twice a week. Once again, this food consists of meat or a fish dishes, salads, cooked vegetables, soup, and cake. We distribute cooked food on Mondays and Thursdays so that it will be fresh, but it overall turns out to be enough food for each family member to have one good meal a day for a week. For a number of the elderly and sick as well as a few other families whose work situations will not allow them to come to our facility during our distribution times, we deliver the food to their houses once a week. We are constantly adding new recipients who rely on the soup kitchen to meet their basic nutritional needs, and the present economic situation shows no sign of immediate improvement. We are currently employing three full-time workers for the soup kitchen alone so that we can keep up with the growing demand.

Of course, the growth of the soup kitchen is a constant challenge to our budget, yet we cannot bring ourselves to turn away the hungry. We would like to give you the opportunity of participating in this work of supplying the basic needs of people who have no means of their own and in seeing the Lord in those who are hungry and thirsty (cf. Mt. 25:31-46). We are concerned to be “doing good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10). If you would like to “remember the poor” (Gal. 2:10) with us, we and they would most grateful for your contribution. Those contributing through our US office receive tax deduction benefits.

Soup Kitchen FAQ's:

The following are a few of the most frequently asked questions about the Soup Kitchen, and about the important work we do on behalf of Eretz Israel.

• Q. How many people does the Soup Kitchen (and Netivyah) help?
  A. Throughout the year, more than 500 people turn to the Soup Kitchen to meet their day-to-day needs.
• Q. How can I be sure that my contribution goes to those who are truly in need?
  A. With limited funds and so many in unfortunate circumstances, we are dedicated to ensuring that the recipients are all in genuine need. We rely on the recommendation of neighbors, friends, rabbis, pastors, and social workers to learn of those who require assistance and to verify their needs.
• Q. I would like to donate, but I don’t have very much to give. Will my contribution make a difference?
  A. Absolutely! Every penny which we receive ensures that we can buy the food and provisions which will be given out. We welcome any size donation, from the smallest to the largest.
• Q. Is my donation tax deductible?
  A. Yes. Anyone who contributes through our US office is eligible for tax deduction benefits.