Click here to help Hetzroni's Zula

"Hetzroni's Zula," an OU-Israel program, is located in central Jerusalem, providing a warm home for thousands of religious Jewish dropouts and youth at risk each year.

Now, 20 years after the Zula opened its doors, it is in danger of closing, due to the global economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Zula, as well as other youth centers such as the OU's "D'orayta" and "Makom Balev," are supported by American Jews, as well as from funds from the organization's global kashrut (kosher supervision) work. Due to the damage to these fields, there has been a dramatic reduction in the amount of donations to the organization, and OU has announced that the economic damage may result in the complete closure of the Zula and its branches.

In order to help the Zula and OU Israel's other youth projects continue their activities, the organization has launched a mass fundraising campaign. As part of the Religious Zionist community's cooperative guarantee week, 5,200 donors from various families have opened their hearts and raised 1.35 million shekels ($391,676) to help the Zula and other youth centers make it through the next few months.

But without a steady and stable source of government funding, the cloud of possible closure is still hanging over the projects - and the Zula alone needs 3 million shekels ($870,388) each year in order to operate.

"In recent days, we felt the Jewish People's warm embrance," OU Israel Executive Director Rabbi Avi Berman said. "[There was] a lot of support and great love, and from our perspective, that's worth everything. We need additional donations in order to help thousands of youths, boys and girls, who are our future. I call on the public to continue donating. The money donated will allow us to continue our blessed work, and will even save lives."

This week, we mark ten years since the passing of the great scholar Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu. Rabbi Eliyahu dedicated his last years to the youth of the Zula.

Harel Hetzroni, the Zula's founder, said: "The Zula's youth would come to Rabbi Eliyahu during the early hours, even at 5:00a.m., and he would sit with the youths, talk to them, and advise them, and even when there was a crowd who came to him to receive blessings, he would immediately turn his attention [to the youths], since he saw the souls of these youth. He would counsel me and the Zula's other staff on how to talk to them, explain what their strengths and weaknesses are. Rabbi Eliyahu's spirit is with us in the Zula, now and forever, and his path is always with us in deed, thought, and speech - and mostly in the connection to the soul."

Click here to help Hetzroni's Zula

Rabbi Berman concluded: "We turned to the Education Ministry, to the Jerusalem municipality, and to the Ministry for Jerusalem Affairs, and we expect answers. The Zula is the only institution in Israel which helps and rehabilitates Religious Zionist youth at risk. It's the only institution which is open to everyone. These are neglected youth and there is a serious risk that we will no longer be able to help. I call on the government offices to work to find a stable source for a budget, since this institution should not be dependent solely on donations, but [should be] part of the basic budget of the State of Israel."