In early February, a delegation of pastors from Germany, organized by “Christians for Israel,” visited the home of 90-year-old Holocaust survivor Rena Quint, a longtime member of Jerusalem’s Café Europa program. Quint, an Honorary Citizen of Jerusalem (2006), welcomed the group and shared her extraordinary life story — one of unimaginable resilience as a young girl who survived forced labor camps and Bergen-Belsen.
The visit took place around International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked in memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and in honor of the survivors living among us. In Jerusalem alone, several thousand elderly Holocaust survivors, nearly all over the age of eighty, continue to cope not only with the typical challenges of aging, such as illness, limited mobility, financial hardship and loneliness, but also with the enduring physical and psychological trauma of the Shoah. For many, the horrific events of October 7, 2023, have reignited painful memories, intensifying anxiety and stress.
For more than fifteen years, the Jerusalem Café Europa program has provided survivors with warmth, companionship and holistic support, thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation. The program serves both active, independent seniors who participate in social gatherings and cultural activities such as lectures, concerts, exercise classes, and outings, and homebound survivors who receive regular visits and phone calls from professional staff. Assistance with accessing rights and benefits in today’s digital world is also a vital part of the program’s work.
Between remembrance and meaningful daily action, the Jerusalem Foundation remains committed to strengthening community support systems and ensuring that Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem receive the care, dignity and connection they deserve.
