Jewish Orphans

It’s the people at the margins of our society that often are hurt hardest by economic troubles. Such is definitely the case with the world’s current sluggish economy. Organizations devoted to helping orphans in Israel, Africa, and North America are all having funding slashed by cash-strapped governments. While this is happening, people are finding it harder to donate because they don’t have much money. A bad economy also breeds many of the social problems responsible for child abandonment. This combination of economic factors has led to many Jewish orphans around the world being turned away from social services like orphanages, homeless shelters and schools. What happens when an orphan gets turned away? The outcomes are not good. They can fall victim to abuse or human trafficking, get mixed up with drugs, be unable to access medical care and education or experience other hardships. What can you do to help? Donate. Every dollar you donate goes to helping orphaned girls. You pay for them to have food, education, medical treatment and most importantly a loving family of other Jewish girls. Every child has the right to a fair share at life and access to opportunities. Your donations make this a possibility […]

Last year news of protests in Israel was reported around the world. Protesters were angry about the high cost of living in Israel coupled with the destruction of the social safety net. Israel used to have an extensive social safety network but now it ranks near the bottom on social spending when compared to other nations. If ordinary citizens are feeling the pinch, imagine how orphans and families are affected? The answer, obviously, is that orphans and families suffer. Parents are finding it harder to care for kids as a slow economy squeezes their budget and the government is unwilling to step in and help. Children on the street are having an even harder time accessing extremely limited shelter and orphanage space. Public health, public schooling and aid to families is all being cut. Orphans in Israel need your help now more than ever. Israel’s European-style social welfare state is dead and gone. GIOH is trying to step into the vacuum left by the government, but caring for Israel’s orphans in a loving and dignified manner is no easy task. These children need housing, food, education, medical care and love. Help us provide that for them or they will simply […]

Of all the challenges facing Jewish orphans, malnutrition is the most prevalent. Malnutrition kills a child every two seconds! This is not counting the orphans who suffer or become permanently disabled due to hunger and malnutrition’s effects. The longer a child is exposed to malnutrition, the more likely it is to cause irreparable damage or death. There is plenty of food to go around; we just need to distribute it properly. When you donate to GIOH you make sure that orphans in Israel get a healthy diet and do not have to feel the pangs of starvation. Can you imagine going every day hungry, eating just a bit and constantly wondering when and where your next meal will come from? It is a harsh reality for many orphans in Israel and worldwide. Although it is uncomfortable to think about, doing nothing is not the right course of action. Donate to GIOH. We will make sure an orphan has access to a hot, nurturing meal but also so much more. We provide educational opportunities, support, love, housing and friendship. Every dollar you give us is another dollar we can spend on the well being of orphans. With so many kids on […]

The GIOH was founded over 100 years ago by Rabbi David Weingarten after meeting an orphaned girl on the streets and taking her in. That was in 1902. Today GIOH has expanded on Rabbi Weingarten’s legacy, which started with one kind act, by increasing services to tens of thousands of needy kids over the years. GIOH provides assistance to orphans in Israel of all ages. It starts at the daycare center where 3-6 year olds are cared for by a loving and trained staff. It continues through our primary school and high school which provides a top notch education and gives kids the tools they need to escape the situation of poverty and become exemplary members of the community. As Israel has changed, so has GIOH. Newly arrived children are taught Hebrew and given access to medical care that was unavailable in their country. The GIOH family contains Jewish orphans from around the world and has hundreds of girls. Most importantly, we provide love, care, attention and everything else a young girl needs to thrive. We are willing to do whatever it takes to help the orphans of Israel escape poverty and despair and find hope, love and comfort. We […]

Preparing your child for the school year ahead is no easy task. Between back to school shopping and a few practice lessons to get them back in the swing of things you have your hands full. Chances are your child is also excited to start school again. For some children however, school is not an option. Countless orphans in Israel cannot enjoy the opportunity or joy that comes from receiving an education. GIOH strives to provide the orphan girls of Israel with a top notch education. Education is a powerful tool in breaking the destructive social cycles that lead to orphaned children. For many of the girls at GIOH this will be the first year they get to enjoy a proper school experience with compassionate teachers and loving classmates. If you think getting your family ready for back to school is hard, imagine the task faced yearly by the GIOH! Although GIOH provides an education and so much more to many Jewish orphans there are countless who are not reached by our services. We rely on donations to help continue our mission of helping the orphaned girls of Israel live a better life. We supply not only an education but […]

A will is created in order to provide for those we love after we are gone. Typically, it divides up and portions out an estate to those who are most important to us, to our families and loved ones. Yet, over the 120 years General Israel Orphans Home for Girls has been operating, many people have opted to include these Jewish orphans in their wills as well. Whatever their reasons, these generous donors decided that a portion of what they’d achieved in their lives should be shared in order to improve the quality of life for orphans in Israel.  It’s a powerful gesture that makes a big difference for young people who have lost so much already. Doing this type of legal work is not everyone’s expertise, even if it sounds like a great and meaningful legacy. We can provide brochures that help clarify confusing points. As well, our estate lawyer is happy to help you stay organized during the process, answering your questions and ensuring your loved ones enjoy the tax breaks endemic to such charitable efforts.

Were you to only use film, books and television as a gauge, the lives of orphans might seem mildly harrowing, yes, but also mostly filled with adventure, redemption, and the power of the good and the right winning out over adversity and ill will. Oliver, for example, the main character of Dickens’ novel of the same name, faces dire circumstances, circumstances which in deed highlighted numerous social problems of the time, but Oliver also always wins out in the end, escaping terrible conditions and overcoming villains. Little Orphan Annie? This narrative is simply ludicrous, both as a comic and a film. Here we are exposed to an orphan that has a millionaire on her side. Fate, too, seems to intervene on her behalf, orchestrating circumstances coincidentally in her favor, as when her benefactor luckily discovers her while looking for water. The most absurd, of course, is Peter Pan. This orphan not only retreats to a magical land, but also can fly, has eternal youth and is endowed with a special cleverness that helps him elude the clutches of dangerous foes. In consideration of the actual realities of orphans, this fantasy can only be construed as macabre. Here are just a […]