Tenufa Bakehila is a unique non-profit organization that provides the opportunity to deepen our service to the Jewish people. Affiliated with Livnot U’Lehibanot, this 501(3)(c) non-profit organization produces a longterm and profound impact on poverty-stricken sections of Israeli society. Thousands of Israeli families currently live in poverty, and TenufaBakehila is on the scene to restore healthy living conditions through home repair in 8 cities across Israel. An equally important component of their organization’s work is that their services also empower families to achieve independence and self-sufficiency. So this is not just a home repair project—the organization digs deeper with their in-house social worker paying attention to the families’ personal struggles.
Tenufa Bakehila was founded 23 years ago and has changed the lives of close to 4,000 families, with 237 families assisted last year. So far over 27,000 volunteers have helped with the project.
Two of our current projects:
A combat soldier and his family are living in dire housing conditions. The family is composed of a struggling single mother with 3 children, one of whom is the combat soldier. The apartment is full of problems—walls are peeling, the ceiling needs to be fixed, and there is no proper lighting. Tenufa Bakehila fixed these things, and additionally, painted the walls and ceilings, installed a shower rod, lighting fixtures, and connected the family to a donation of a new oven and stove.
Tenufa Bakhila is also working with an Ethiopian family in NesTzionathat has a soldier son. The cabinets are crumbling and falling apart from water damage, the drain system is broken and leaking, and the countertops are broken. TenufaBakehila is at the scene and ready to remove a wall, construct new kitchen cabinets, and install a new countertop. We will also update the entire drain system, fix a leaky faucet, retile walls, and arrange a new plumbing system for the washer.
A recent case of a Jerusalem single mother with several children—she was in a terrible financial situation trying to manage to support her family on her own. With the help of Tenufa Bakehila’s social worker, she was enrolled in an employment course, and following that course she is now in a computer training course. Our social worker reports that she is “happy, motivated, and so hopeful” now that she has a bright future ahead of her, a future which involves being financially independent and having the ability to support her