For most parents, preparing for a new school year means shopping for notebooks, replacing outgrown shoes, and making sure backpacks are ready before the first bell rings.
For parents who have just arrived in Israel after fleeing war or rising antisemitism, the list looks very different. Before they can think about school supplies, they are learning a new language, finding a place to live, navigating unfamiliar streets, and helping their children feel at home in a country that is both wonderfully familiar and completely new.
Every week, Jewish families continue arriving in Israel with little more than a few suitcases and the hope of a fresh beginning.
Many have left behind not only homes and possessions but also communities, careers, and everything that once felt predictable. Their children will soon walk into Israeli classrooms for the very first time—excited about what lies ahead, yet carrying the natural uncertainty that comes with starting over. It is in these ordinary moments, just before the school year begins, that a simple act of kindness can make an extraordinary difference.
Through our From Exile to Israel Back-to-School Project, Beit Hallel is preparing to help 350 immigrant children begin their first school year in Israel with the supplies they need and, just as importantly, with the reassurance that they are not beginning this journey alone. Every backpack, every notebook, and every school voucher carries a quiet but powerful message from Christians around the world: You are not alone.
For many of these families, that message means more than we often realize.
Returning to Israel is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, but it also brings countless practical challenges. Everything—from enrolling children in school to understanding a new culture—requires courage and perseverance. Knowing that someone has chosen to walk alongside them reminds them that they have not been forgotten.
For us, this is far more than a humanitarian project. It is a privilege to participate in something God promised long ago. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord declared, “I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.” Today, those words continue to unfold before our eyes as Jewish families return home from around the world. What an extraordinary invitation God has given us—not only to witness the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, but to become part of it through prayer, generosity, and practical acts of love.
The first day of school is drawing closer, and hundreds of children are still waiting to be equipped. Every gift makes a tangible difference.
- A gift of $50 helps provide essential school supplies.
- A gift of $100 provides a backpack filled with everything a child needs to begin the school year with confidence.
- A gift of $220 fully equips one immigrant child for this important new beginning.
Whatever God places on your heart, your generosity will become far more than practical assistance. Every backpack delivers two gifts. One is practical. The other is deeply personal. It tells a child and their parents:
“We love you. We stand with you. Welcome home.”
Thank you for standing with Israel in such a tangible way.
Together, we are helping hundreds of Jewish children begin their new life in Israel knowing they are already loved.
