Together We Can Give These Elderly and Impoverished Holocaust Survivors Hope
Dear Christian Friend,
I believe you love Israel, and I believe you love the Jewish people.
You live by the promise of Genesis 12:3, where God declared to Israel, “I will bless those who bless you.”
This is why I had no choice but to write you this letter … because I have learned about a tragedy — a living nightmare for tens of thousands of Jewish people — and I urgently need you to help me help them.
I’m talking about elderly survivors of the Holocaust.
This need is so pressing, I’m pleading with you to take just four minutes to read this letter. I’m enclosing a beautiful set of address labels as my gift of gratitude to you, to thank you for taking time to read this letter.
You already know the beginning of this story:
During World War II, more than 6 million Jews were tortured, starved, and exterminated by the Nazis. It was one of the most horrendous crimes against humanity in history. Mothers and fathers, grandparents, and little children were disposed of by madmen, simply because they were Jewish.
But here’s what you may not know: Hundreds of thousands of Jewish people survived those terrible dark days … but were left with nothing. Their homes were destroyed. Their families were dead. They had already suffered and survived unspeakable acts at the hands of the Nazis … yet now they became refugees.
Many of those who were children in the concentration camps are still alive today, 80 years later. But their number is dropping fast. Just a couple of years ago there were 150,000 … now there are less than 88,000. Most of them live in Israel, and if they are ever going to see Christian love in action, we must do it now.
And here is perhaps the saddest and most shocking part of their story:
Many Americans don’t realize this, but Israel has the highest poverty rate of any developed nation in the world. That was true even before the horrific invasion by Hamas in 2023, and things have only gotten worse since the war began. Don’t get me wrong, the Israeli government does what it can.
But their economy is stretched to the limit by the demands of national defense, as the war continues, and neighboring nations threaten annihilation. There is a continuous effort by Israeli government leaders to do more, but everyone recognizes that it’s not enough!
So, these elderly Jewish people, most orphaned as children — after hanging on by a thread in the camps — are still hanging on by a thread in the land of Israel … struggling to make ends meet and to find enough food to survive. They are living in misery.
When I learned of their plight, my heart broke. When I went to visit some of them, and I saw the extreme poverty they were living in — I was moved to tears.
And I determined then, with a vow before God, that I would do everything humanly possible to help these dear souls.
I’m Mike Evans, head of the Friends of Zion a global group of tens of millions of believers who stand with and for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Our purpose is to fulfill the Bible command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to bless the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
As you read these words, our Friends of Zion Center in Jerusalem has already set up a community center for elderly survivors of the Holocaust, we’ve already provided warm coats and hats by the thousands … we have delivered essential medicines … and we are providing truckloads of food to these people, providing regular meals and food for more than 3,000 Holocaust survivors every week — amounting to hundreds of thousands of meals since the war began.
But we must do more — and I implore you to help us help them.
I’m asking for the sake of someone like Naomi. And I want you to know that Naomi is not a fictional character. She is a very real person, and the story you are about to read is her story of pain, heartache, and survival.
When she was a little girl, the Russians took over Hungary and carted her father, a doctor, off to the labor camps. Then came the Nazis. The rest of her family was herded onto the second train bound for Auschwitz.
They squeezed 72 men, women, and children into a single car, with a bucket in the corner to be used as a toilet. At the Hungarian border, soldiers shouted at them: “Jewish whores! Give us all your money and gold — you’re going to die anyway!”
When old people died on the way, the Jews weren’t allowed to push the bodies out. “We had to ride with them till we arrived at Auschwitz,” Naomi remembers.
At Auschwitz, the monster Josef Mengele met them. He chose who would live and who would die. Naomi’s grandma and aunt were both taken to the gas chambers.
They were not alone. The four largest gas chambers at Auschwitz could hold 2,000 people at a time.
While at Auschwitz, Naomi’s mother died of hunger. Naomi, just a young girl, was forced to carry loads of bricks on her back. She saw unspeakable atrocities — so gruesome that I cannot write them here. You would recoil in horror.
Naomi survived on the standard diet: “Breakfast” was a bowl of water (called “soup”), and in the evening, a piece of dry bread. “In the soup there was a piece of potato at times.” Naomi was desperate for food.
By the time Auschwitz was liberated, Naomi had been starved so badly that the muscles in her legs were ruined. She had to learn to walk all over again, like a toddler.
In the messy aftermath of the war, with the U.S. and Russia moving from allies to enemies, Naomi — a Hungarian citizen — ended up as a victim again, this time of Stalin. She spent a year in a Romanian prison.
But finally – freedom. She knew where she wanted to go. To build a new life, and finally — have hope. A future.
Israel.
Israel!
She made her way to the Holy Land. She worked hard. She sacrificed. But today, she is alone again.
So again, the question is asked … “Can we do more?” “Can we ignore the cries of the needy?” “Can we look away when so many Holocaust survivors live in poverty, and more than a third struggle to get enough food to eat?”
Some might be able to turn away from Naomi and others like her I suppose. But I can’t. She is a daughter of Israel. She represents God’s Chosen People — and she is worthy of our help.
I am asking you to help me help her … and thousands of others.
The physical help we are providing is huge — literally the difference between life and death for many of these precious people. But they need more than just food, clothing, adequate housing, and medicine. They need hope. And that’s what we can give them together.
I am asking you to help with a gift of any amount, large or small.
And I can assure you that any tax-deductible contribution you make to Friends of Zion today will help to provide practical help right where it is needed the most.
And I want to thank you personally.
With a gift of $5 or more, we will send you an American and Israeli flag lapel pin. This striking pin features brightly colored American and Israeli flags side by side, bordered in gold.
When you send your gift of $30 or more, I will send you a beautiful Friends of Zion olivewood pen. The olive tree is so much a part of Israel’s history and economy, even today. This laser-engraved pen is a beautiful writing implement, but far more, it will be a constant prayer reminder to you as you use it throughout the day. You will also receive an American and Israeli flag lapel pin.
If you are able to send your gift of $60 or more, I will send you the Bible Promise Box. You may remember someone in your family having one. This box is filled with small cards that contain God’s promises for your life that you can select and read each day. This is a wonderful way to receive a daily dose of God’s Word year after year. You will also receive the olivewood pen and the American and Israeli flag lapel pin.
If you are able to send a special gift of $100 or more, I will send you a beautiful full-color afghanfeaturing the United States’ and Israel’s flags over the city of Jerusalem and the words of God to the prophet Isaiah, “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people” (Isaiah 40:1). As you help us care for these elderly men and women today, I will rush you this beautiful keepsake. I know that the afghan will quickly become one of your favorites as it provides warmth in both your home and your heart. You will also receive the Bible Promise Box, the olivewood pen, and the lapel pin.
I don’t know what else to say to you. There is no way to “undo” the horrors these precious elderly people suffered as children … and for decades since then.
The only way that it is possible for this great light of Christian love to continue to shine brightly is if friends like you will step forward to answer the call of God: “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people.” That is what I am asking you to do with your generous gift today.
Please help me reach out to them with God’s love. May God bless you richly!
Your ambassador to Jerusalem,
Dr. Mike Evans
P.S. Below is a brief five-question survey. We would greatly appreciate you taking the time to respond today. It will help us in communicating the great needs of the Holocaust survivors in Israel to others.
And after you fill out the survey, please consider making your most generous gift. Thank you again.
1. Choose Your Donation Amount
Select your thank-you gift:
American-Israeli Flag lapel pin$5 or more
Friends of Zion Olivewood Pen and an Israeli/American flag lapel pin$30 or more
Friends of Zion Olivewood Pen, an Israeli/American flag lapel pin, and a Bible Promise Box.$60 or more
“Comfort Ye My People” afghan, the Bible Promise Box, the olivewood pen, and the lapel pin.$100 or moreI don't want to receive a thank-you gift2. Enter Your Information (It’s Secure)
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