Israel's First Rain Means Winter's on the Way

And Yad Eliezer is ready

by Karen Reiffman

0 Comments | Sunday, October 25, 2020 under Volunteering, Food Boxes, Feed-a-Baby, Emergency Fund, Winter Warmth Campaign

Israel had a major event a few days ago.
No, not the one related to the UAE pipeline partnership or that other one related to Gaza. (And no, for a first, I'm not refrerring to anything COVID related).

I'm talking about the first rain of the year.

I have to admit, I didn't actually see the drops coming down but I knew it was happening thanks to the happy shouts of kids outside my building, yelling "yored geshem!" (it's raining!). Israel's first rain of the rainy season is such an exciting and highly anticipated event for Israelis of all ages countrywide who wait for it to arrive, kind of like a mini holiday, as soon as Sukkot is over. This year it only lasted a few minutes, but photos and videos of the big event made their way onto news outlets and across social media in record time.

Once that first rain hits, everyone knows that winter is steadily heading our way. And regardless if you're a fan of the relief from Israel's blazing weather or you actually prefer the heat (really?!), it's the unofficial sign that means it's time to get the coats out of the closet because it's time to get ready.

Yad Eliezer has definitely been getting ready, but we never wait for the first rain to arrive in order to do so. We start our preparation, our own version of "get the coats out of the closet" in the beginning of June, right at the start of summer. That's when we place our coat order for our Winter Warmth Campaign (blankets, too!).

We spend hours researching brands and styles, quality levels and colors, with substantial thought and planning going into the ordering process. We want to make sure we're getting the best product: the warmest coats but the nicest coats possible, at the best price. It's kind of a funny experience, comparing weights of heavy winter coats and making purchasing decisions about them with the a/c cranked up inside our office as the heat is cranking up outside. But early planning and preparation are what help make us an extremely effective Israeli charity, enabling us to get the highest quality items we can. This is so important because Yad Eliezer works not only to provide relief for needy families in myriad ways, but also to do it in a way that preserves their dignity as much as possible.

We want to know that any child or young woman who walks away from one of our distributions with a new coat, walks away excitedly, wearing it with a feeling of respectability and maybe most importantly, confidence.

And once the second rain arrives, and the third, and then all the rest of them, we'll feel confident in the knowledge that thousands of people-in-need, this year especially, will be a bit warmer, a bit dryer and hopefully much happier, this winter season.

Stay tuned-our Winter Warmth campaign is on its way. Help us make it a better winter for struggling families this year.