In this new initiative for YAM and Yeshurun, we want to encourage the community to donate the amount they would have spent on a gift for their shabbat host to charity.

Every few months we will choose a new charity. At the moment, we are raising money for Ezra Umarpeh.

Ezra Umarpeh’s mission is to provide patient support services for those challenged by illness and disability, whether at home or in hospital. Our aim is to offer transitional care, with a focus on crisis support. The Charity provides culturally appropriate services aimed particularly at, but not exclusively to, members of the Jewish community.

Our community member Tami Marchant says: Over 7 years ago, my dad had a life saving (and life changing) operation, and spent the next 3 months in hospital recovering. And then many subsequent hospital stays for 5 more years after that. Me, my mum, and my sister suddenly found ourselves spending a lot of time in hospitals and discovered the incredible things Ezra Umarpeh do.

They have Shabbat rooms in many hospitals, which helped us with meals, respite, and providing my dad with a variety of kosher food and drinks for when he needed. Aswell as that, we were able to stay in fully equipped Shabbat apartments nearby so we could keep near my dad during these difficult times. We even had our Seder nights there!

But their charity does not stop there. They also lend out a huge range of medical equipment to those in need, and once again, my dad was a grateful recipient of a (Shabbat friendly) mobility scooter, wheelchair, walking sticks etc.

Any support given to this charity will be hugely appreciated, and we are forever grateful to them for the help we received.