Students of the haredi combat hesder yeshiva B'Tzavta arrived yesterday to reinforce the COVID-19 brigade in the Beit Shemesh municipality.
The students, who are expected to enlist in combat units in the coming months, together with the staff of the Welfare and Social Services Division, packed about 500 leisure packages for the elderly.
They then went out to the city neighborhoods, distributed the packages among the elderly, talked to them to alleviate their loneliness while maintaining distance and assisting the elderly with additional needs to which they were exposed at the time of distribution.
B'Tzavta Yeshiva founder and head Rabbi Yonatan Rice said: "I'm proud of the students who, just before they were recruited, wanted to lend a hand and help the elderly and thank the Beit Shemesh Municipality for giving us the privilege to take part in the blessed activity.
"These days we all need social solidarity and our students are happy to be there for those seniors who need it so much. A few months before they contribute to Israeli society in significant service in the IDF, our excellent young people chose another contribution to society, more action and more solidarity and so on. We're proud."
Deputy mayor of Beit Shemesh and welfare portfolio holder Adv. Rina Hollander said: “The senior population is dealing not only with the fear of the coronavirus plague but also with loneliness. I thank the yeshiva students who came together to help us alleviate the loneliness of the senior citizens."
She added, "The boys packed several hundred kits and also started arriving at the nursing homes, checking their safety and distributing the kits. I invite the young people of the city to come and get involved in the distribution operation so we can reach as many single seniors as possible."
