The Torah places special emphasis on widows and orphans.
Which is why they are our #1 priority
Retreats for Widows
Being a widow with young children is difficult under the best of circumstances. Being an impoverished widow and mother to 3, 4, or more young children is inconceivably difficult. Such women never get a day off. They do not have a minute to themselves. A coffee break is an unthinkable luxury. As for vacation — well that’s entirely out of the question.
Colel Chabad is at the vanguard of innovative help for widows and orphans in Israel. Through experience, we've come to understand that help with food and clothing is not enough. Which is why every widow we assist is provided with a two-week retreat in the countryside.
During this special time their children are cared for at Colel Chabad camps. The therapeutic importance of this program cannot be overestimated. These widowed moms discover that they are not alone, as they find themselves carefree and relaxing among hundreds of other women in identical circumstances who empathize with their sorrows, hopes and joys.
Fast Fact
What we've accomplished with your help:
Colel Chabad is the only organization which takes a holistic approach to the needs of widows and orphans. Of course food security comes first and foremost. But often it is not just, or not even, food that is the problem. Widows and orphaned children encounter enormous social barriers, issues with depression, poor schoolwork and a sense of isolation. Colel Chabad addresses all of these issues on a case by case basis.
What is still left to do:
There is so much more we can do, both in terms of reaching and assisting more widowed families, and in what we are doing for the children themselves. In particular, the cost of psychotherapy, music lessons and summer camp is very high, yet there is little or no volume discount. We need your help in delivering these vital programs to Israel’s most vulnerable children.