Colel Chabad is a 232-year-old organization that aims to eliminate hunger in Israel by providing food and material support to those in need. It operates 22 soup kitchens serving over 1 million meals annually, delivers groceries to 8,000 families, and provides holiday shopping vouchers to 20,000 additional families. Colel Chabad has expanded its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, now delivering food to over 50,000 families and 112,500 seniors. The organization relies on partnerships with municipalities, volunteers, and donations from individuals around the world.

1. Colel Chabad: Caring for
People Through Food
By Bent Philipson

2. Colel Chabad believes that no one — no matter their age,
gender, marital status, ethnicity, or religious observance —
should ever go hungry. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, who
was also the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement,
established Colel Chabad in 1788. Since its creation, their
central mission of providing material support to Isrealites in
need hasn’t changed.
Colel Chabad is the oldest operating tzedakah network in
Israel. Their expansive outreach is possible because of the
partnerships they form with various municipal governments
throughout Israel, their volunteers, and individuals from
around the world that donate to their cause. Currently, they
work with 48 municipalities that help them take charge of
eliminating hunger across all of Israel.
Food plays a powerful role in our lives. Beyond giving us
the sustenance we need to survive, it’s also the basis of
many important cultural traditions and community
connections. However, there are still far too many
individuals and families without equal access to food. In
Israel, nearly 25 percent of the population experiences
food insecurity. Of that group, 40 percent is considered to
be living with severe hunger.

3. These numbers have increased dramatically following the impact of COVID-19,
which has disproportionately affected the most vulnerable members of the
population. Colel Chabad already serves individuals who have experienced
unimaginable hardships throughout their lifetimes — the indigent, widows,
Holocaust survivors, the chronically ill — and the pandemic only continues to
compromise the elderly, individuals with prior medical conditions, and the poor.
The Ministry of Welfare recognized how critical it was to reach out to the increased
number of people who’ve been affected by COVID-19, so they helped Colel Chabad
rapidly scale up their infrastructure to expand their outreach. Instead of providing
food to 3,000 families, they were able to deliver food and staples to over 50,000
families in need and 112,500 seniors that are currently under shelter-in-place orders.
In addition to supporting those affected by the coronavirus, below is a list of other
initiatives that allow Colel Chabad to continue feeding Israel’s poorest and most
vulnerable.

4. United Soup Kitchens
These 22 beautiful restaurants are the
heart and soul of Colel Chabad. Their
soup kitchens serve over one million
meals annually, both on and off their
premises. Meal costs are completely
covered by donations, so guests are
encouraged to come for a warm smile
and a fresh, delicious full-course meal.
For guests with physical limitations,
Colel Chabad also has a ‘Meals on
Wheels’ program that operates 365
days a year.

5. Household Groceries
Nutrition is a top priority at Colel Chabad. While
they feed many people through their soup
kitchens, they also package and deliver
groceries to families who cannot financially
support themselves. Colel Chabad partners
with the Blavatnik Food Bank to feed over
8,000 families across Israel. During Rosh
Hashanah and Passover, an additional 20,000
families receive food and supplies. Colel
Chabad also empowers families to shop for
their own food and clothing by providing them
with holiday shopping vouchers.

6. Pantry Packers
Tens of thousands of people travel to Israel
every year in search of an inspiring, spiritual
experience. Colel Chabad encourages these
tourists to volunteer for their Pantry Packers
program in Jerusalem as part of their search for
meaning. After watching a 90-minute video
about the true meaning of tzedakah, these
volunteers join an assembly line where they
bag and vacuum seal foods like beans and
lentils, which are then sent to a warehouse and
distributed to families in need.

7. Donations
The act of giving tzedakah (or donating money to
those in need) is an important tradition for Jewish
families. In addition to giving to synagogues and
other charitable organizations, some families also
keep a Colel Chabad Pushka (or coin box) in their
homes. This is a 232-year-old tradition that is still
going strong today. Families either have one
pushka they keep in a high-traffic area of their
home or multiple coin boxes they keep in places
like their kitchen, study, and in each of their
children’s rooms. Once the coin boxes are full,
people tally up the total and send a check with the
full amount to Colel Chabad. If you don’t already
have one, they are free on their website.

8. Additionally, Colel Chabad also has the capacity to take donations from
citizens living in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and
Australia. If you want to make a donation, you can do so through their
website.
Colel Chabad is one of the oldest and largest charitable organizations in
Israel, but they still have so much to accomplish. Their future plans include
opening more supermarkets in impoverished neighborhoods, building
additional soup kitchens, expanding their monthly food deliveries, and
increasing their holiday food distribution program.
Colel Chabad is an organization that has been close to my heart for so
many years, and I am proud to support such an incredible initiative. If you
feel it in your heart to give to this cause, you can rest assured knowing
your life-saving donation will forever change the lives of those in need.

9. Thanks for reading!
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