Never Thought I'd See the Day by Arlene Peck

Arlene Peck

Never Thought I'd See the Day

by Arlene Peck

Being out here in Tinsel Town, We sometimes become a bit jaded about what is really happening in the rest of the world. The Hollywood crowd is so insulated that most of them don't even know that there is a war going on and wouldn't know where to find Israel on the map.

I speak on that topic often on Christian Radio, "Front Page Jerusalem". They broadcast to well over a hundred cities across the United States. Thank God; there are good Christians out there who are supporting Israel because I don't often find the necessary concern from the rest of the population. They however, like I, are concerned that the celebrities, Jewish or otherwise, are not supporting Israel.

People, Jewish people here in the land of Hollywood, are over-programmed and are being hit upon by every group from Save the Whales to fighting AIDS in Africa Fund. Most of the times, the thought of diverting any of the charity dollars into Israel is never even considered. I am appalled by the total lack of identity that is biologically Jewish but with no conception as to what that means.

Unfortunately, most of the Hollywood crowd that can afford to finance or make a difference in the Israeli charities is totally assimilated. I find them so lacking in Jewish identity that it never even occurs to them that their Jewish brothers in Israel might need money for basic things like food. Occasionally, you'll get a Jason Alexander who will offer to fly there and take a poll to solve the Arab/Israel problem.

The over-indulged crowd spends a fortune at spas to diet away unwanted pounds. These self-absorbed and indulgent celebrities aren't even aware that there are actually children in Israel who are going hungry! Actually, to tell the truth, I was amazed that the situation has gotten so serious in Israel that there are now programs like Hazon Yeshaya soup Kitchens, "Adopt-a-hungry- child" to make a difference to replace hunger with hope.

It seems the savage and senseless Intifada over the past few years has caused the number of Israeli children who live below the poverty line to be approximately 30% and climbing. That translates to over 690,000 Jewish children living in Israel who are going to bed hungry. Ironic how, one of the fears that we in America have is that school children are becoming obese because of lack of exercise and over indulgence in 'junk food.'? Yet, amazingly enough, children in Israel, as young as ten, have been arrested in the act of stealing food to quell their hunger. According to a recent poverty statistic from Haaretz, nationwide, one out of five Israelis, including a quarter of Israeli children, live below the poverty line. And, their poverty line is a lot lower than what is considered poverty in Beverly Hills.

Recently, I had an opportunity to meet with Abraham Israel, the director and founder of Hazon Yeshaya nationwide soup kitchens. I was amazed when this wonderful man told me that he and his terrific organization are quietly providing more than 120,000 hot meals each month to those that need them the most in Israel. And the lines grow longer every day.

Over here, we yawn when the homeless stand on corners. The issue of homelessness and hunger would never even arise when it came to the Jewish State. Yet it has. So there are those like the good Rabbi who are there to offer hot meals and encouragement to the homeless, elderly, disabled, and poor children with Downs Syndrome and/or special needs, distribute clothes and shoes to Israel's needy to make them feel less so. Oh, and let's not forget the 1,000 Holocaust survivors who they feed a day. Folks, there is a waiting list of 9,000 more Holocaust victims waiting to be fed when funding is available.

Of course, there are a lot of things in Israel that I would have never thought.

Who would have thought that an organization called Efrat (the Committee for the Rescue of Israel's Babies) would be needed? Last year it saved the lives of 1,336 babies in Israel by providing financial support to their mothers who were considering abortion due to financial concerns. This year looks even more dismal.

Unbelievably, there are 50,000 abortions in Israel every year, most of which are done for economic concerns. As an American, who knows how long the waiting list is for babies is here in this country, I found it difficult to believe that more Jewish children are lost to abortion in Israel (two million since 1948) than were lost in the Holocaust. But that's why organizations like Efrat were started -- to reach out to these women.

I receive e-mails and have meet so many representatives from Jewish groups coming out of Israel hoping for help that sometimes it is mind-boggling to think of all the causes that we need to support.

I recently spent some time with Pinchas Gruber from the Shomrum Foundation. He heads a large group of settlements and educated me on how the children of Israel have forgotten to laugh. So, they send clowns and a traveling circus just to give them a few tension free hours. They live in fear of just going to the dentist who is in another city. So a dental van comes to them so they won't have to take the chance that one of these savage snipers will kill them on the way to getting their teeth checked.

The kids in the Shomron Development Fund are going hungry but they still provide food packages to about 200 families twice a month. And, they have a waiting list of another 200. They have to distribute the food late in the evening in their bulletproof truck so that their neighbors don't know that they are receiving assistance. This damn intifada has affected everybody.

Israel's growing poverty is, in part, also due to the constant attempts by Western countries to place boycotts on Israeli products. Though, luckily, so far these attempts have had only a limited affect, but nevertheless, they are a factor to be considered. In addition the 18% VAT tax that is put on their own people for food brought into the country cuts into their ability to buy the very food that's most needed.

I suppose I'm getting carried away. But, the point I want to bring out is that there are groups that I, and most of my fellow Americans, never even knew existed.

Who would a think that the land of Milk and Honey was running out of food for their children?

Posted May 25, 2004

My Arlene Peck Archive

Arlene Peck http://www.arlenepeck.com/ is an internationally syndicated columnist and television talk show hostess. She travels extensively worldwide, reporting to her audience about political events, social happenings (Cannes Film Festival, London event for the Variety Club, etc.) and "must see" spots. If there is a place to see and be seen, she'll write about it for her international audience.

Arlene's syndicated column is read weekly by millions and her television show ("Wow! It's Arlene Peck!") can be seen throughout Southern California every Monday night.

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