As a young man, Harav Asher Freund, zt”l, went to Machane Yehudah late every Friday to collect the leftovers from the vendors. He took it all home and sorted through the produce. He managed to find some good fruits and vegetables and delivered them to the downtrodden of Jerusalem. Later, he filled the need for free dental clinics, cheaper supermarkets, free social halls, and even rehab centers for individuals who had been institutionalized due to physical or mental illnesses.

This way of life set the tone for the organization Harav Asher eventually founded—Yad Ezrah.

Since the war started on Shemini Atzeret, Yad Ezrah has been providing hundreds of soldiers with two hot Shabbat meals every week. Volunteers deliver the meals to the northern and southern borders, right into the war zones. They also provide soldiers with personal hygiene products, winter clothing and flashlights, and have set up washers and dryers for the soldiers.

Yad Ezrah also supports evacuees from the north and south by bringing them meals, clothing and toys to brighten the families’ difficult days.

“When Harav Asher wanted me to join his organization, he told me that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created us with hardship and pain,” Harav Zvi Waldman, vice chairman of Yad Ezrah said. “This is the only way for us to understand that we need Him and ask for help. Everything we do in Yad Ezrah is Hashem’s work. We are providing and helping, but only as Hashem’s vessel.”

Yad Ezrah goes above and beyond the boundaries of chesed. The boundless energy of its volunteers is a testament to Harav Asher’s philosophy. The regular volunteers are often neighborhood youth who have been directed to the organization to be helped themselves. Nobody knows which youth are helping and which are being helped because everyone just comes together in a united mission. Speaking of unity, the volunteers are from the entire gamut of Judaism. You will find a teenage boy with long payot and Chasidishe garb working alongside a teen wearing jeans and a nose ring on any given day.

William Rapfogel, chief of staff to Howard Jonas, one of Yad Ezrah’s major supporters, said: “Yad Ezrah is constantly there for so many needy people on a regular basis besides those who have come to depend on them after October 7th. Their services are vast and comprehensive. Very often, they are handed cases from either the government or other organizations and do everything to help create a level of independence with great dignity.”

The organization also offers the opportunity for outside volunteers to help package food for soldiers and the needy. Rav Michael Bashist, rebbe at Yeshivat Frisch, visited Yad Ezrah’s soup kitchen two years ago. He said: “Yad Ezrah serves food and love and comfort. The organization and their leader Rav Waldman embody everything wonderful about the Jewish people. When Moshiach comes I am convinced he will stop at Yad Ezrah first for a welcome and a bite.”

Anael Stein-Jonas visited Yad Ezrah for her bat mitzvah chesed project. “My family and I went to Yad Ezrah to prepare food for our soldiers,” she said. “It was awesome to know that we were helping people while having a blast. I was so happy to hear that the food we packed went to the soldiers in Gaza, and knowing how appreciative they were makes me extremely happy.”

Miriam Levy, who made aliyah to Ra’anana 20 years ago, is a supporter of Yad Ezrah and has also volunteered her time. She said: “Our family was eagerly welcomed to help in both a packing facility and in a preparatory kitchen facility. It was very meaningful to be involved in an initiative where people from all different backgrounds and walks of life are all welcome to come together for the same goal—to help others. During this difficult time here in Israel, it is so beautiful to see the unity and the achdut, all for a good cause.”

Yad Ezrah is currently raising funds to purchase a bus, and has already achieved 75% of its goal.

The bus will be used to transport food and other items to soldiers in the field, along with the volunteers needed to distribute everything. It will also be used to help displaced families who need help moving their belongings and themselves to their temporary homes.

For more information, to donate or to volunteer on your next trip to Israel, go to https://yadezrah.org.il

Aviva Zacks is a writer living in Israel who loves speaking to everyone and hearing their stories.