The Beginning of the Sarigim

Ruut reflects here on how humanitarian work in Israel first began.

About 30 years ago, I was visiting Jerusalem. Someone gave me some new, high-quality baby clothes from Finland and said, “Pass these on to someone who needs them”. During that same visit, I met a couple, who distributed clothing and food in Israel for decades. A fruitful partnership with them began and continued for nearly twenty years.

I took those baby clothes with me to my hometown and noticed a woman who was in the final stages of her pregnancy. I asked if I could give the clothes to her. She was delighted, and that was the beginning of our friendship.

Later, we worked together to distribute clothing and food to immigrants living in my hometown. Today, she serves as the director of a family crisis center in Jerusalem — the first fruit of this work.

There are many such stories. A gift of clothing, food, or financial assistance has often been the starting point from which something much greater began.