An extraordinary collaboration between Pitchon-Lev, an organization which works to break the cycle of poverty in Israel; the Jewish community in Panama; and Zim Integrated Shipping Services reached its peak just before Passover and Seder night, with the arrival of a container-load of clothing.
This is the second time that the entire Jewish community in Panama mobilized to collect clothes for needy populations in Israel. This year, more than four tons of clothes were collected by Panama’s Jewish Community for delivery to Pitchon-Lev’s aid centers in Rishon Lezion and Carmiel.
From there they will be distributed to the needy, including refugees and immigrants who came to Israel following the war in Ukraine.
Pitchon-Lev especially thanked Panama Jewish community members Salvador Aviad Cattan, Alberto Jabiles, and Ramon Gateno of the Panama-Israel Chamber of Commerce; David Hanono, leader of the Jewish community; and Sarah Dabah from Tzedaka Umarpe of the Jewish Community of Panama for their great help in organizing and collecting the clothes and shipping them to Israel. The organization also thanked the Zim Integrated Shipping Services for their support and assistance in transporting the container.
The clothing will be sorted, and where it is not suitable for distribution, will be transferred to Pitchon-Lev’s recycling facility in Carmiel, which employs people with disabilities who make rags for sale to industry.
Eli Cohen, CEO of Pitchon-Lev, said: "I would like to thank the Jewish community in Panama and its leaders for their support for our clothing collection project. A big 'thank you' to Zim Integrated Shipping Services and its dedicated employees for their assistance in transporting the container from Panama to Israel and ensuring its safe arrival before Passover. This cross-border cooperation is proof that the people of Israel, whether in Israel and abroad, open their hearts to those in need. "
Pitchon-Lev is an a-political, non-profit organization, founded in 1998 and working to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty in Israel. The organization, which assists over 160,000 mostly underprivileged people each year regardless of gender, religion, race, origin, or nationality is supported by hundreds of permanent volunteers and tens of thousands of temporary volunteers nationwide.