Ayge - Guardians Comforts a Poor Holocaust Survivor

Ayge, 78, is a Holocaust survivor and proud immigrant to Israel who grew up in Germany. During her childhood, Ayge's father was a famous cantor in a synagogue. She says she can still hear him singing the beautiful Sabbath prayers.

When Ayge was just five years old, her father fell ill and died, leaving her mother alone to raise three small children. "I still remember the fear and sadness in my mother's eyes," she says. "This was right at the time that Hitler was gaining strength and power."

In 1941, Ayge's family fled to Russia, where Ayge's mother worked long hours as a housemaid. "We were all hungry," Ayge remembers, "but were focused on staying alive and hiding our Jewish and German identity. Even as a child I knew that my family could be murdered for our faith at any given moment."

Ayge survived this ordeal, and after the war became a chemist. Though she hid it well—practicing Judaism was prohibited under Communism—she never forgot her Jewish faith. She dreamed of one day returning to her biblical homeland, where she could live freely as a Jew.

Years later, that dream came true when she was able to secretly make aliyah (immigrate to Israel). Though Ayge was forced to leave her belongings behind, she gave them up happily. "What are material possessions?" she asks. "Living my dream of being in Israel is better than any earthly pleasure."

Today, Ayge is poor, but is able to get by with the help of a soup kitchen sponsored by The Fellowship's Guardians of Israel program. There, she eats two nutritious meals a day. She is deeply grateful to Guardians for helping her live in Israel with a measure of comfort.

"Knowing that Christians in America love and care about me and want to provide me with meals is simply heartwarming," she says. "I am living my dream and you have given me hope for future generations—the Jews will never again be alone. Thank you!"

You can help feed Israel's poor and elderly through a gift to Guardians of Israel. Please give today—and know that you have the gratitude of Ayge and thousands of others like her.