It would be hard to find anyone who would not agree that elderly Jews – many of whom are Holocaust survivors – deserve to live out their lives in dignity.

Yet, in countries throughout the world, hundreds of thousands of elderly live in abject poverty. For them, life is a daily struggle, and loneliness is their constant companion.

Even in Israel, where social services for the elderly are of the highest quality, the government is struggling to support its older citizens’ growing needs.

JDC is a lifeline of hope and support for millions of elderly Jews in Israel and the Diaspora.

In Israel, JDC-ESHEL develops innovative, community-based services to care more effectively for the elderly such as

• Day Care Centers
• Supportive Communities
• Warm Homes
• Institutional Care.

We also help the elderly stay healthy and independent longer through programs such as "Stay Well" that assesses risk factors and screens for vision and hearing problems and by promoting walkathons, gymnastics, tai chi, dance, and water exercise.

In the former Soviet Union, JDC helped local communities create Hesed welfare centers. With JDC’s ongoing support, these centers provide a wide range of services, including food packages, hot meals, medicine, homecare, and winter relief to more than 270,000 impoverished elderly.

In Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, JDC supports a variety of programs for needy elderly including day care centers, welfare services, and old age homes.

Thanks to JDC’s generous supporters, we are bringing help and hope to elderly Jews throughout the world.