It is a little known fact that among the distinguished group of the Righteous Among the Nations throughout the world, an estimated 100 rescuers chose to further deepen their solidarity with the Jewish people and establish their residence in Israel. Today Israel is home to a surviving 31 rescuers and 13 widow/ers of rescuers, 40 family units. Almost half of these families are Russian speaking.

This small group of rescuers living in Israel is aging rapidly, the youngest being 75, the oldest 97 years old. ATZUM’s objective is to enable these heroic individuals live their last years in dignity and help them with the many physical and emotional challenges their last years entail. In the past 6 years, ATZUM developed a close personal relationship with almost every one of these individuals. By staying in continuous contact with the rescuers and their families, ATZUM remains up to date on their health status and their changing needs.

ATZUM works to provide basic needs not met by the Israel social welfare (Bituah Leumi – NII) package, including professional home caretakers and various geriatric, dental, ophthalmic and auditory treatments and aids.

In addition to that financial assistance, by means of home visits and phone calls from staff and volunteers, “adoptive grandchildren”, sending birthday flowers and holiday cards, ATZUM strives to provide these heroic individuals with extra care and support and the understanding that they will never be forgotten.

ATZUM also recognizes the importance of educational outreach, in bringing the stories of these individuals, who were a precious few sources of light during the darkest period of Jewish and western history, to wider knowledge. When teaching about the courage and strength of Righteous Among the Nations, ATZUM focuses both on their lives during the Shoah, and the lives they later established in Israel, why they came, and how they built their lives in the Jewish State. To quote many rescuers in answer to the question “What was the reason for your actions?”: “It was simply the right thing to do”.

Some examples of ATZUM’s assistance:

Galina Imshenik rescued Jewish toddler named Yelena Dolgov in Belarus. Sixty-five years later, Yelena cares for Galina who now requires full time assistance. During a visit to their Jerusalem home, ATZUM noted their building was not wheelchair accessible, preventing Galina from leaving the apartment. ATZUM convinced the municipality to install a ramp, enabling Galina to spend her mornings outside in the sun.

During the war, Zinaida Kolesnichenko and her family hid a Jewish woman in their tiny one room apartment, which was just down the street from a Nazi supply unit. When Zinaida broke her arm, ATZUM assisted her family in paying for a convalescent home where she received 24 hour care.

Joseph Rozen, the Jewish widower of a rescuer, was hit by a motorcyclist in Tel Aviv. After being released from the hospital, an ATZUM staff member accompanied him to the police station and was in contact with his attorney, making sure he received his legal rights. After his accident he needed constant intervention by volunteers and ATZUM assisted with the follow-up.

Jaroslawa Lewicka, as a very young girl, would smuggle food into the Zloczow ghetto. Jaroslawa approached ATZUM’s Project Coordinator asking for money to send to her former neighbor in Ukraine who supplied the food for Jaroslawa to smuggle into the ghetto, and is currently experiencing many troubles, due to her age and health status. ATZUM provided funds for Jaroslawa to send her former neighbor and partner in heroism.