Help For Israel

This Is The [New] Year of the Favor of the L-rd

pam — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:46:10 +0000

This last year by the grace of G-d, many women who have been deceived into being trafficked in Israel are receiving help through Help for Israel.

We have a new Israeli partner, the Jerusalem Institute of Justice , who speaks on behalf of trafficked women in Israel and also sends our funds to Israelis who are actively involved in helping these women live a new life in Messiah.

G-d sees what you have done, are doing, and will do to care for these women. Messiah Yeshua spent time speaking with, encouraging, and inviting women on the fringes of society to leave the circumstances they were in and to look to G-d for freedom and a new life. In this secular New Year, He is at work doing the same thing through your gifts and prayers.

Here is His word about His will:

The Year of the Lord’s Favor Isaiah 61 (Complete Jewish Bible text)

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord

for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

The Good News of Messiah– Isaiah 61– in Song:

Click here to view the embedded video.

NOA– Not Objects Anymore: Standing Up Against Human Trafficking

pam — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:48:46 +0000

Quarters for Quarters has begun working together with the Jerusalem Institute of Justice to help those who have been trafficked in Israel.

“The trafficking of men, women, and minors for forced labor and prostitution is an alarming phenomenon that has ravaged the State of Israel. Urban centers such as Tel Aviv and Haifa have served as destinations for these victims, absorbing thousands from nations with devastated economies and staggering unemployment rates. Searching for means of survival, many are trafficked from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Belarus, China, and the Philippines.

In recent years, a decrease in international trafficking into Israel has only been met by an alarming increase in the number of Israeli victims (particularly women) sexually exploited within its own borders – a crisis observed, yet often neglected by law enforcement and the government. Countless cases testify that victims are physically or psychologically coerced into this form of modern-day slavery. An estimated 80% of prostitutes are victims of human trafficking. The industry’s clientele is comprised of religious and non-religious men as young as 11 years of age up to the elderly. Reports suggest that the industry annually generates a total of one billion dollars with an average of one million visits to brothels per month.

Project NOA (Not Objects Anymore), initiated and managed by Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ), combats this phenomenon and provides assistance to victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation through legal representation, legislation, and education. While providing legal services for individual human trafficking victims, JIJ also works on a national level by lobbying in the Knesset and drafting legislation to heighten legal restrictions of the local prostitution industry. Partnering with other advocacy organizations such as Isha L’Isha and Freedom Foundation, JIJ provides education, support services, and financial assistance to victims and their children.”

For more information, you can go to the Advocacy section of the Jerusalem Institute for Justice’s website: http://www.jij.org.il/advocacy_sub.php?id=8

Because of your love, prayers, and gifts, Quarters for Quarters has raised thousands of dollars specifically to help women brutalized in this way. King Messiah said about those who helped His people, “If you have done it to one of the least of these [My brothers and sisters], you have done it for Me.”

Thank you.

A Letter of Thanks

pam — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 02:18:48 +0000

Our friend ”L” who is reaching out to women who have been trafficked in Israel recently came to visit and speak at our congregation. Listening to her was such a blessing! This month she wrote with an update and more good news, along with some prayer requests. ”L” wrote:

“First - ALELUYA!!!

Today I spoke with our accountant, he got your precious check!

The check cashed and we can start using this money for our women

I warmly thank each participant of Quarters to Quarters!

You can pass to precious donors that their money really helps us to rescue the daughters of Israel.

Do you remember the story about N?

N, an Israeli citizen, was also a victim of violence at the hands of her husband, who died from a drug overdose. N was left alone with a son. She had no money, no work, no home, no Hebrew language skills, was not aware of her rights, and had no relatives or friends in Israel.

When she tried to get a job, she was subjected to sexual harassment by her prospective employer. Social workers took away her son. She became homeless. Local cats had a more secure life than she did.

After all the trauma she experienced, she was snared by prostitution and drugs for over 10 years.”

[Our friend in Israel reached out to her over several years. Slowly, she was able to get a new vision for her life and make a fresh start.]

The letter continues: “Now she is been clean from drugs and free from prostitution for over 3 years. She got married and had a daughter. We helped her to get back her son (he is a teenager).

N is very zealous believer and attends a Messianic congregation in Haifa.

Baruch HaShem! (Praise the L-rd!)

However, she has hepatitis and is receiving chemotherapy. She has a physically demanding job and works long hours. Considering past debts and her unstable financial situation, N is always under stress and in danger of breaking down. Her new husband has no permanent work yet. He has been laid off from his job.

Despite the trials N is undergoing, she helps us to find contacts with the new women in prostitution. We have contact with eight new homeless women in terrible situations through her.

We also ask you to pray for the eight new women. Most of all they need to make a firm decision to walk away from prostitution and drugs. We pray for them and ask you to pray for N and her family.

We are helping to N to survive emotionally, spiritually and now financially.

A lot of thanks to your financial support to N, her children, and those she began to help. Thanks to the L-rd and you, they have a chance to start a new life and enter into Eternity.”

Thank you again for giving to Quarters for Quarters. Many women in Israel are experiencing hope and change for themselves and their families– and they are reaching out to others as well.

Psalm 102 says,

¹³
“You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her;
the appointed time has come.

¹⁴ For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.

¹⁵ The nations will fear the name of the LORD,
all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

¹⁶ For the LORD will rebuild Zion
and appear in his glory.

¹⁷ He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.

¹⁸ Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD :

¹⁹ “The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,

²⁰ to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death.”

²¹ So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem”

Amen. May it be.

Update From Israel

pam — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:55:01 +0000

Recently some of us were able to travel to Israel and meet “L” in person as she and the women who work with her reach out to trafficked women in Israel. Those who went reported how highly “L” is regarded in the Land, and how effective and miraculous the work is that is being done.

We will be blessed with getting to hear a first-hand account from her in June about the work that is being done to rescue destitute and desperate women and their children from the horrors of trafficking. In several ways these women are similar to widows in Biblical times. G-d cares about them, and He has put it in many hearts to do the same. Through your generous gifts large or small, many lives are being changed and set free.

Psalm 68:5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is G-d in his holy dwelling.

Psalm 68:5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is G-d in his holy dwelling.

Slavery in Israel: Such Things Should Not Be

pam — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:32:43 +0000

“Natasha* was 21 when she was smuggled across the Egyptian border into Israel, after being told she would have a job caring for the elderly. This seemed a great offer compared to opportunities offered in her homeland, Belarus. Once in Israel, she was taken to a brothel in Tel Aviv, and forced to work as a prostitute for four years. She worked sixteen hours a day, every day, with no vacation. She got sick with hepatitis C, and ran away with one of her customers, who claimed he would take care of her. Natasha was abused by him both mentally and physically. She stayed with him for a while and has a daughter from him, who is an Israeli citizen. A few years ago, she left him and began raising her child on her own.Her daughter is Israeli, knows no other land, and doesn’t want to go anywhere else. Natasha and her daughter live in a shelter for battered women. Natasha is working hard at a cleaning job, even though she constantly feels ill, and has no medical insurance to provide her with relief.

Natasha’s ex-partner will not associate with the child, and she had to fight in court for him to acknowledge his relation to her daughter. She does not want to return to Belarus because she has no chance of receiving healthcare there, and may very well die of her sickness. She has no one to go back home to.

There is a possibility that she will be put in an experimental program in a hospital in Tel Aviv. Together with others in Israel, we are assisting Natasha, her daughter, and others like them in Israel so that they have a safe place to live, a place to detox if necessary, and a place to heal.

Those trafficked for the sex industry are physically and psychologically abused, often become dependent on highly addictive substances, are transferred from one [abuser] to another, locked into brothels, raped, denied contraceptives and otherwise sexually exploited. In all respects these women are no longer considered human beings, but are treated as economic goods, as objects.

No one should exist under conditions of slavery and sexual exploitation, yet this is the only reality for thousands of people in Israel today. It is an atrocity that must be addressed NOW. Together with your support we can tangibly reduce human trafficking in Israel and provide a voice for those without a voice.”

Thank you for partnering with us and others in Israel, working together to bless Israel and her people.

The History of “A”

pam — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:47:50 +0000

Tears in Your Bottle: Ps. 56:1

Tears in Your Bottle: Ps. 56:1

According to international studies, women who were at least a year in prostitution have the same level of post trauma

as prisoners of the Holocaust.

According to official data, Israel has more than 10,000 female Israeli citizens in prostitution.

However, according to unofficial data, the actual number is closer to 30 to 40 thousand. Most (70 to 90%) are

Russian-speaking Immigrants, and 50 -70% of them have children.

History of A.

Arrival to Israel.

A. came to Israel with her husband while her son stayed behind in the Ukraine with his grandmother.

Here in Israel, A. and her husband met the same people who helped them to leave Ukraine.

They helped the family to legalize all the documents for new immigrants, to open a bank account, get a check

book, and rent a flat. They also helped A’s husband to find a job at a factory.

At first, all went well; the husband worked while A. stayed home.

Only one thing was strange– the same people who helped them began to carry A and her husband

to banks and encouraged them to sign some papers in Hebrew. A and her husband signed,

trusting their benefactors.

Two weeks later the benefactors said that work was found for A, too.

A. was very happy because she had been accustomed to hard work a lot in the former Soviet Union.

The next morning she was brought to a brothel, and the”benefactors” said that now she will “work” here.

She was facing gunpoint because of the papers that were signed, and the family’s cash and checks

were taken away from them.

From life to death.

A’s husband ran back to the Ukraine very quickly, but A. was supposed to

repay the “benefactors” debt of 25,000 dollars.

For ten years A. went by the way of living death – forced prostitution, alcohol, soft drugs, hard drugs, attempted suicide…

At first she rebelled, fought, ran away.

But the “benefactors” knew what to do; she was not the first or the last in their “business.”

Once she was able to escape all the same and found the work at a hospital.

After the month of work A. went to a bank to receive a salary.

An official at the bank said, “You can not get a single shekel – your account is arrested. You have a debt of more

than 100 thousand shekels.”

A. returned to the brothel.

Our meeting.

Three years ago we received a call from the police. They asked us to help a woman without a home, belongings,

or documents.

“If you give not something to eat me – I’ll not speak” – were her first words. A. was looked like a survivor of

Auschwitz–wild, angry, like an animal on the last stage of exhaustion.

Only tears rolled from under the big black glasses, when I said that we came to help her.

A week later she called us after a failed suicide attempt under the bus. She agreed to let us help.

Countdown: from death to life.

Since that day three years have passed together.

Since that time she experienced living in a “Christian monastery,” [an apartment free from sexual demands],

the beginning of a new life without prostitution,

rehabilitation from drugs, ups and downs, mistakes and victories…

As soon A. began to make her first steps, tsuris [sorrows] as an avalanche struck her as both

her mother and sister died in the Ukraine. She had not seen them for many years and could not go to the funeral.

It was impossible to leave the country because of debts, of which neither she nor we knew.

The debt in her name was two and a half million shekels for buying some kind of real estate…and other

smaller debts…. Now was clear why “benefactors” drove them to bank.

We were together the entire road to recovery.

There were hours of phone calls and personal meetings, support groups, assistance in finding work, study, support in

court, police, social department, hospital, disability benefits, legal support, humanitarian assistance, and financial

assistance.

Today.

A. is a surprisingly strong personality.

Today she is free from prostitution and drugs. She is beautiful– the “best worker” at her work–charming,

positive, sociable, has a sense of humor, knows how to support others.

A. is a great friend and helping other perishing women.

She has already saved the life of one of those who was together with her in prostitution several years ago.

A. goes to prison to visit the women. She also takes calls from women who also want escape bondage to

prostitution and drugs.

The happy end?

However, this is not a “happy ending” of Hollywood because A. continues to struggle to survive in Israel.

For example, A. receives an allowance of NIS 1,540 and NIS 1,000– a partial salary.

Her apartment rent is NIS 1600, leaving little for the payment of debts, electricity, water, taxes, etc…

There is no money for food, clothing, transportation, or medicine. A. lives a permanent life on the brink of poverty.

A. works on the dirtiest, heaviest and lowest-paying jobs in Israel. Not all are able to withstand such hard work.

We continue our road to victory next to A. and dozens of her friends and their children.

We [Israeli believers] have a plan to help pay part of the apartment rent for women walking along the path

of recovery from prostitution, so they can meet their other basic living needs of their own.

[That is where "Quarters for Quarters" is helping.]

We invite you to join our ministry if your heart is responding.

[The following is a true story, written down by another Russian-speaking Israeli who knows "A" well. ]

History of A.

Arrival to Israel.

“A. came to Israel with her husband while her son stayed behind in the Ukraine with his grandmother. Here in Israel, A. and her husband met the same people who helped them to leave Ukraine. They helped the family to legalize all the documents for new immigrants, to open a bank account, get a check book, and rent a flat. They also helped A’s husband to find a job at a factory. At first, all went well; the husband worked while A. stayed home. Only one thing was strange– the same people who helped them began to carry A and her husband to banks and encouraged them to sign some papers in Hebrew. A and her husband signed, trusting their benefactors.

Two weeks later the benefactors said that work was found for A, too.

A. was very happy because she had been accustomed to hard work a lot in the former Soviet Union. The next morning she was brought to a brothel, and the”benefactors” said that now she will “work” here. She was facing gunpoint because of the papers that were signed, and the family’s cash and checks were taken away from them.

From life to death.

A’s husband ran back to the Ukraine very quickly, but A. was supposed to

repay the “benefactors” debt of 25,000 dollars.

For ten years A. went by the way of living death – forced prostitution, alcohol, soft drugs, hard drugs, attempted suicide… At first she rebelled, fought, ran away. But the “benefactors” knew what to do; she was not the first or the last in their “business.”

Once she was able to escape all the same and found the work at a hospital.

After the month of work A. went to a bank to receive a salary. An official at the bank said, “You can not get a single shekel – your account is arrested. You have a debt of more than 100 thousand shekels.”

A. returned to the brothel.

Our meeting.

Three years ago we received a call from the police. They asked us to help a woman without a home, belongings, or documents.

“If you give not something to eat me – I’ll not speak” – were her first words. A. was looked like a survivor of Auschwitz–wild, angry, like an animal on the last stage of exhaustion. Only tears rolled from under the big black glasses, when I said that we came to help her. A week later she called us after a failed suicide attempt under the bus. She agreed to let us help.

Countdown: from death to life.

Since that day three years have passed together. Since that time she experienced living in a “Christian monastery,” [not a traditional monastery but a place to recover in safety and purity], the beginning of a new life without prostitution, rehabilitation from drugs, ups and downs, mistakes and victories…

As soon A. began to make her first steps, tsuris [sorrows] as an avalanche struck her as both her mother and sister died in the Ukraine. She had not seen them for many years and could not go to the funeral. It was impossible to leave the country because of debts, of which neither she nor we knew. The debt in her name was two and a half million shekels for buying some kind of real estate…and other smaller debts…. Now was clear why “benefactors” drove them to bank.

We were together the entire road to recovery.

There were hours of phone calls and personal meetings, support groups, assistance in finding work, study, support in court, police, social department, hospital, disability benefits, legal support, humanitarian assistance, and financial assistance.

Today.

A. is a surprisingly strong personality. Today she is free from prostitution and drugs. She is beautiful– the “best worker” at her work–charming, positive, sociable, has a sense of humor, knows how to support others. A. is a great friend and helping other perishing women. She has already saved the life of one of those who was together with her in prostitution several years ago. A. goes to prison to visit the women. She also takes calls from women who also want escape bondage to prostitution and drugs.

The happy end?

However, this is not a “happy ending” of Hollywood because A. continues to struggle to survive in Israel. For example, A. receives an allowance of NIS 1,540 and NIS 1,000– a partial salary. Her apartment rent is NIS 1600, leaving little for the payment of debts, electricity, water, taxes, etc…

There is no money for food, clothing, transportation, or medicine. A. lives a permanent life on the brink of poverty. A. works on the dirtiest, heaviest and lowest-paying jobs in Israel. Not all are able to withstand such hard work.

We continue our road to victory next to A. and dozens of her friends and their children. We [Israelis and others who partner with them] have a plan to help pay part of the apartment rent for women walking along the path of recovery from prostitution, so they can meet their other basic living needs of their own.

We invite you to join our ministry if your heart is responding. “

Very First “Quarters for Quarters” Donation Day – 11/7

pam — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:15:17 +0000

Oct. 16, 2009

Many volunteers stayed after the Shabbat service and put together another two hundred “Quarters for Quarters” tzedakah boxes, to add to the one hundred boxes that were given out in September.

On Nov. 7, people who have been saving their quarters and other offerings will bring them in to give as our first offering to help Israeli believers who are already successfully reaching out to make a positive difference in the lives of the Israeli women trapped in prostitution.

Assembling the First Tzedakah Boxes

pam — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:58:34 +0000

In August 2009, several people worked together to create the first “Quarters for Quarters” Tzedakah boxes.