Lishmor al Kesher: A Ray of Hope in Difficult Times

I have held the position of National Representative of ASF in Israel only since September, and one of my first tasks was to visit the many partners spread across Israel. After the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, our volunteers had to leave the country, making it even more important for ASF to maintain personal contact with our companions who are suffering from the attacks and the ongoing war situation. With each visit, it became clearer to me how crucial the engagement of ASF volunteers is for the affected institutions and how close the relationships between volunteers and beneficiaries often were.

Michal, a social worker at the “Idan Hazahav” senior home in Jerusalem, enthusiastically shared stories about a volunteer who always brought joy with his guitar, playing old songs and encouraging the elderly residents to sing along. Robin, a teacher at the Rachel Strauss School in Jerusalem for children with disabilities, told me about a young ASF volunteer who dedicated herself to students in a seventh-grade class. Iris, who works in another inclusive project in Nahariya, emphasized how ASF’s thorough selection process had brought particularly motivated young people to her and how much she missed the positive energy and good spirits they radiated.

It became evident to me how intensely and sustainably the volunteers of each year enrich the lives of many people. Accordingly, it was difficult for me at every one of these meetings to explain that the travel warning issued by the German Foreign Office, triggered by the ongoing war, made it impossible to send the 2024/2025 volunteer cohort. At the same time, I stressed that we are doing everything we can to send new volunteers to Israel again in September 2025. While there was an understanding of this decision, a common sentiment was palpable at all visits: the hope that this war will end soon and that we can resume our valuable cooperation.

I had a slightly different conversation at Amcha, an organization that supports Holocaust survivors. Mor, the head of the Jerusalem office, also expressed how much she missed the volunteers, but quickly shifted the conversation to the sad reality: many survivors had passed away in recent months, and the time for our volunteers to work with witnesses to history was soon coming to an end.

Although I had theoretically known this, this encounter particularly moved me. It is regrettable that the war deprives the new generation of ASF volunteers of the privilege of meeting Holocaust survivors in Israel—of listening, learning, and having the chance to pass on these unique stories. In the Israel network, ASF supports AMCHA’s work with survivors, who were particularly vulnerable during the frequent rocket attacks and suffered from isolation.

But beyond this psychosocial support, we also wanted to enable direct encounters once again: Even before my official appointment as National Representative, we had discussed at the ASF office in Berlin how we could respond to the current situation and make a “statement” to actively continue the dialogue with survivors. The result was the project “Lishmor al Kesher” – literally translated as “Preserving the Connection,” which I shared with Mor, the AMCHA director:

The concept is simple yet effective: As long as our volunteers cannot visit the survivors, the ASF office in Israel invites them to our youth educational center, Beit Ben Yehuda (BBY) in Jerusalem, which is currently underutilized due to the war. Here, we create a space where Holocaust survivors can meet with friends of the Israeli ASF office in an open, warm atmosphere, share a meal, and spend time together.

Mor found the idea compelling and promised her support. In December, the first “Lishmor al Kesher” event took place. Twenty Holocaust survivors participated in this special afternoon at BBY, along with staff from political German foundations, the social attaché of the German Embassy, and other active friends who had responded to ASF’s invitation. During the shared meal, it was moving to see how quickly a familiar atmosphere developed. Yet, despite the cheerful mood, moments of painful memories were also present: Shmuel, a survivor from Bulgaria, shared how he was insulted as a “dirty Jew” in school as a child. Margaretha described how her family had to survive on potato peels for a long time, and Meir shared that music had always been an anchor for him, a means to forget the traumatic experiences of his childhood, if only for a short time. The highlight of the afternoon was a Klezmer concert performed by Mendy Cahan and Olga Avigail. The music filled the room with life – there was singing, laughter, and even dancing.

The positive feedback from this first meeting deeply moved us and motivated us to continue the event series. The next encounters are already being planned, and we look forward to giving more survivors a glimmer of hope through music, community, and exchange.

In all of this, there is hope that we will soon be able to welcome ASF volunteers back to Israel, so that new bridges between generations can be built. Until then, we want to preserve the connection—in the truest sense of the word.

ASF would like to express its heartfelt thanks to the Axel Springer Foundation and the Nir Yaakov Association, whose generous donations made these special meetings possible. For the organization of further events, we are still seeking supporters. If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to contact the ASF National Representative in Jerusalem, Uriel Kashi.

Uriel Kashi, Consultant, Tour Guide, and ASF Director for Israel, Jerusalem