By Ayala Feigenbaum. As someone who is lucky enough to live in Yerushalayim, I can truthfully testify that this year, between Yom Kippur and Sukkos, Yerushalayim looked like the 51st state of the United States.

It was amazing to see Yerushalayim so full of people after the last three years, and great to see people feel safe coming here again.

But there is one point I would like to bring out to the Americans who came to spend Yom Tov here. I’m not writing this in a judgmental way, chas v’shalom. I would just like to make a point.

Before the Yamim Tovim, I’m B”H zoche to distribute funds to families in Ramat Shlomo, where I live. These are families who, without the help of generous people, would not be able to put food on their tables on Yom Tov, and I wish I could say I’m exaggerating.

But I’m not.

For some reason, this year was harder than others. Perhaps it’s because of the combination of the weak dollar, which impacted many tzedakah organizations, and the rising prices in Israel. Whatever the reason, I know that struggling families in Ramat Shlomo, for example, received 1,000 shekels per couple, plus 150 shekels per child. So a family with 10 kids received 2,500 shekels (around $830) from the Ramat Shlomo Kupa to prepare for both Rosh Hashana and Sukkos.

I found myself getting phone calls throughout the month from women who were desperate to prepare a Yom Tov meal that would feed their families generously enough, but they couldn’t do so with the meager amounts they received from the local tzedakah organizations. Too many families in Eretz Yisroel struggled this Yom Tov.

Why am I writing this?

When you come to Eretz Yisroel for Sukkos and spend huge amounts of money on catering, wine, live music, cleaning help, etc., your Israeli neighbors notice it.

It’s nice to see your neighbors enjoying themselves over Yom Tov, but when these are families who don’t know how they will be able to go shopping at the supermarket before Simchas Torah, it hurts.

I got a phone call from a young almana on Thursday of Chol Hamoed at 11:00 a.m. She asked me if I could lend her eight potatoes. I was confused because she doesn’t live so close to me, but I told her that sure, no problem, and that she should send someone over to get the potatoes.

When I hung up the phone, I realized that she was probably asking for help. She needed money for food for the second days but felt uncomfortable saying, “Ayala, give me money,” so she asked indirectly.

I called her back and asked her if I could take her shopping, to which she responded, “That would be a lifesaver. The kids didn’t stop eating the whole week, and my house is completely empty.”

When I came to pick her up, I went up to have a coffee with her for a few minutes. When she opened the fridge to take out the milk, I saw an empty fridge.

Oh, there were a few eggs and some spices, milk, and some zucchinis, but not much more.

It’s a scary sight to behold in any house, especially in a house where there are young children and teens who are constantly hungry.

Now, let’s imagine this family has an American family staying in their building over Sukkos.

They see huge amounts of food and wine deliveries coming to this American family and spend their Chol Hamoed hearing live music and parties at all hours of the day and night.

It’s hard, and not because they don’t fargin. Just because.

I have no doubt that any Yid who can afford to do so gives tzedakah, because Am Yisroel is כולו טוב וחסד. I can personally vouch that a huge amount of the tzedakah I gave out before Yom Tov came from Lakewood.

You may be reading this and thinking, “I gave to mosdos X, Y, and Z, and I also gave to Tomchei Shabbos where I live in the States.”

That’s amazing.

But the needy Israeli family watching your lavish Yom Tov doesn’t know that…

I’m not writing this to discourage people from coming here and making beautiful Yom Tovs. On the contrary, come and support the Israeli stores, vendors, and businesses, please!

But take a moment on Erev Yom Tov to call the local Kupa and say, “I’m staying in Jerusalem Estates, Rechavia, Ramat Eshkol, Sanhedria, Ramat Shlomo, etc. This is the address of the building I’m staying in. How many needy families are in this building or in the buildings next to mine?”

And make a donation to these families!

If you don’t want to give through the local Kupa, then go to the Rav of the shul and ask him if he can distribute money to the needy Israeli neighbors in your area.

You may be thinking, “My apartment is located in an area where everyone is wealthy.”

Maybe that’s true for the Upper East Side of Manhattan, but it doesn’t exist in Yerushalayim.

Wherever you are staying, I can assure you that there is a nice Jewish family near you who, upon receiving your donation, could literally cry tears of relief.

Again, the point of this piece is not to be critical of anyone, just to be an eye-opener. Erev Yom Tov is always so hectic that it’s easy not to think about people in the building whom you probably don’t even know.

But now, when things aren’t so hectic anymore, you can set yourself a reminder for next year. And, b’ezras Hashem, Moshiach will be here by then, and no one will need help or support!

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