ICEJ Homecare Shines Light amid Darkness

ICEJ Homecare Shines Light amid Darkness

By Maxine Carlill

After two years of ongoing war, ICEJ Homecare continues to witness extraordinary courage in the most unexpected places—Israel’s elderly, frail, and vulnerable. Despite fear and uncertainty, they continue to shine with quiet strength, resilience, and faith. Through every home visit and every prayer shared, Homecare staff have seen how light endures even in the darkest times.

In 1990, Natasha* made Aliyah from the Soviet Union with her mother, husband, and son. They travelled by boat from communist Leningrad to Helsinki, then by plane to Israel. Natasha completed her education in Israel amid many struggles and earned a doctorate in Russian literature, finding work as a teacher.

Recently, she reflected on the war in Gaza with Homecare nurse Corrie van Maanen. “The beginning was the hardest—the unknown, not feeling safe, [having] great fear,” she recalled. She recounted that back in Russia, after threats of pogroms against Jews resurfaced in the 1980s, Natasha and her family immigrated to Israel. But the images of Hamas attacks on October 7 triggered a terrible fear, especially as her husband had to go to work, leaving her, their only son, and her elderly mother alone at home, which was close to Arab towns.

The next day, her son was called up to the Israeli army, and one day later, she wrote to her students to check if they were all safe. Sadly, one of her students discovered Hamas had taken her sister hostage in Gaza. Natasha did all she could to raise awareness of her student’s sister’s plight on social media. It spread like a ripple in water. After more than a year, the girl was set free.

“The whole day the telephone rang, even though it was on a Shabbat. I was busy thanking all the people on my social media groups,” she explained.

For many elderly Homecare patients who are Holocaust Survivors, October 7 and the ensuing war meant reliving the horrific darkness of World War II. Some overcame the trauma by simply shutting off the news. However, one elderly lady was obsessed with watching the news, and depression soon followed. But Corrie challenged this dear observant Jewish woman to read the Torah, the Psalms, and the Prophets after every hour of watching news.

“I don’t need the news so much anymore, as the Torah is teaching me about the times we are living in,” she later told Corrie.

Other Homecare patients struggle knowing their children or grandchildren are in the IDF defending the country. Corrie shared that during a visit with another elderly Holocaust Survivor, she found her Homecare patient in tears: “My grandson doesn’t want to tell me where he is in the army to protect his babushka (grandmother).” On one visit home, he had told his grandmother about an accident and the miraculous way the God of Israel saved his life and those of his fellow soldiers. She told Corrie, “I cry when I think of it, and when I tell others, I can’t stop crying at how God saved his life.”

Some of these dear Russian-speaking Jews still have family caught in the war in Ukraine, and at times, they are at the end of their strength. Homecare’s weekly visits bring them hope, often just by being there, listening, and encouraging them. Like the candles of Hanukkah, faith overcomes darkness.

Thank you for being part of these difficult two years for those under our care. With your help, Homecare has comforted many elderly Jews in Israel.