Over the years, Tenufa Bakehila has consistently adapted its teams to respond to changing needs during times of crisis. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were recognized as an essential service, enabling us to deliver urgent home repairs to hundreds of homebound individuals—well beyond our usual service areas. We supported elderly residents, Holocaust survivors, and vulnerable families with emergency repairs, and practical assistance to help them navigate the challenges of lockdown.
During wartime, Tenufa took on an additional national mission – responding to urgent requests from emergency municipal headquarters.
Since October 7, Tenufa Bakehila has been on the frontlines of civilian relief. When war broke out, we immediately redirected teams to address the most urgent needs:
As families began returning to their homes along Israel’s northern border after 17 months of evacuation, Tenufa Bakehila was called upon to respond to a new crisis: widespread damage to abandoned homes. Despite not being directly hit by rocket missiles, months of neglect, weather exposure, and animal intrusion left many homes uninhabitable. In towns like Shlomi, near the Lebanese border, residents facing rotted kitchens, collapsed ceilings, rodent infestations, and destroyed electrical systems, and the government compensation packages fell far short of the repairs urgently needed.
Tenufa Bakehila is the only nonprofit actively repairing homes in Shlomi and the Western Galilee, working in partnership with the municipality and welfare services. We’ve identified 350 families in need and launched a dedicated repair team in the region, including local contractors to help accelerate recovery. Our focus is on low-income households with no other support, helping them return to safe, livable homes and rebuild their lives after months of displacement.
With the outbreak of war with Iran on June 13, 2025, Tenufa Bakehila mobilized once again to support vulnerable communities across Israel.
Many shared bomb shelters—unused for years—were reported to us as dangerously unfit for use, lacking electricity, water, sanitation, and safe access. This posed a severe risk, particularly for elderly residents. In fact, many of the casualties in the early days of the attack were seniors who were unable to reach shelters in time.
Tenufa Bakehila responded immediately, repairing and upgrading shelters by installing water tanks, lighting, ventilation, sanitation systems, and safety railings—ensuring these critical spaces were safe and accessible during the national emergency.
At the same time, tens of thousands of homes near missile impact zones sustained indirect damage, leaving low-income families, especially elderly individuals and people with disabilities, living in unstable and distressing conditions. Rather than relocate to government-provided hotels, many wish to stay in their homes. Tenufa stepped in to provide immediate, no-cost repairs—replacing shattered windows, fixing plumbing and electricity, and clearing debris—to help families regain stability, comfort, and safety in their familiar surroundings during one of the most severe national crises Israel has faced.
A big thank you to Maor and Matan from Menaria, Brit Arim Street, Sderot.
“There are no words — you did everything with love, joy, and hard work.
Whatever needed fixing, you took care of it for me, and I’m really happy!”
Dear Eti,
They painted Tamar’s house — what a joy it is to walk inside now! There’s light in the home, they even replaced the light fixtures and the tiles. I’m amazed that Yigal and his team could return to paint the whole house in just one day!
Only happiness, good health, and plenty of livelihood ahead!
You made Tamar so happy — she hasn’t stopped talking about it!
They painted my house — thank you so much!
I especially want to thank Chaim, who came and helped me install safety handles next to the bathtub in my apartment.
Chaim installed a strong, secure safety handrail, was kind and efficient, and I was so impressed that he came within less than two days after I called your office.
Thank you all for the invaluable service!
With gratitude,
Elad and Dudi, you’re the champions!
A huge thank you for painting the house — you truly made my heart happy!
From the moment you started, it was clear you know exactly what you’re doing — with skilled hands, a sharp eye for details, and lots of good energy.
The house looks amazing, fresh, and welcoming — all thanks to your wonderful work.
Thank you for your patience, dedication, and smiles every step of the way. You guys are absolute rock stars — there’s just no other word for it!
I’m really grateful.
With great appreciation,
Hi Vered,
On April 23, 2025, I reached out to you regarding the installation of a handrail in the stairwell of my client’s building.
The woman in question is 71 years old, divorced, has no children, and lives alone in her privately owned apartment on the second floor of a building without an elevator.
She recently tripped over the wheels of her shopping cart and fell — an incident that led to surgery for a joint replacement. Her building had no handrail, which left her confined to her home and unable to go outside.
This situation severely limited her independence and caused her a great deal of distress.
Following my request, you asked that we obtain the neighbors’ signatures on a resident consent form. After collecting the signatures, the form was sent to you on May 6, 2025.
Today, May 21, 2025, I received a photo from the client showing her walking down the stairs, supported by the newly installed handrail — provided by the Tenufa Bakehila organization.
I’m happy to share that the client was deeply moved and overwhelmed with emotion. She asked me to personally thank you and Shefi Oshorovitz, the project manager at Tenufa Bakehila, for this incredibly meaningful gesture.
On behalf of the Department for Senior Citizens and myself, I would like to thank you for this moving act — and for all the future efforts that will benefit our clients.
Warm regards,
Suzanna Isakov
Social Worker under the Law for the Protection of Incapacitated Persons and Court Proceedings – Legal Guardianship
To the kind-hearted organization, Tenufa Bakehila,
After G-d sent you as His wonderful messengers to repair, renovate, and fix what was needed in our home —
We wanted to thank you for:
You made us feel so comfortable and at ease throughout the process,
with sensitivity to our values, patience with the children,
and even divrei Torah (words of Torah) playing in the background —
All of this, without asking for a single shekel in return.
May Hashem always help you be among those who give and support others,
May you never need to rely on others,
And may He bless you with great salvations in all areas of life.
May He fill your lives with joy and bring happiness to your hearts, always.
With deep thanks and appreciation,
We just wanted to say THANK YOU! to the amazing team at Tenufa Bakehila,
We’d like to express our deep and sincere appreciation to the angels from your Kiryat Gat team for the incredible work you did in our home.
From start to finish, you showed such outstanding professionalism — from the very first meeting where you listened carefully to our needs and offered creative solutions, all the way through to the work itself — everything was done with great care and top quality.
We were especially impressed by the kindness and amazing service we received.
You were always available for questions and requests, and we genuinely felt how much you cared about us and our well-being.
Your honesty and dedication came through in everything you did, and gave us a strong sense of trust throughout the entire process.
The work itself was done thoroughly and professionally — it was clear you paid attention to every detail and put real thought into every step.
Your initiative and out-of-the-box thinking led to amazing results — even better than we expected!
We also want to highlight how considerate and clean you were after the work was done.
You left the place spotless — as if no renovation had ever taken place.
We truly see the sacred work you're doing, helping those who really need it.
We deeply appreciate your contribution to the community and feel so lucky to have received your help.
Keep spreading light and kindness in the world!
Thank you so much for everything!
With heartfelt appreciation,
Hi, I just wanted to thank you all from the bottom of my heart!!
For the work you did in my mom’s apartment — it truly made her happy.
And for the way you did it — with your whole heart.
It’s such a blessing that people like you exist…
May you be blessed from the heart, on behalf of my mother — who is deeply grateful —
and from me as well,
Fenta 💛
Big kudos and appreciation to Yigal and Yosef,
and a huge thank you to the Tenufa Bakehila organization!
When nothing is taken for granted…
Yigal and Yosef came to my parents’ home to do some repairs —
And beyond being professional, I met two people full of generosity, patience, and kindness.
So I just want to say thank you!
Because good manners, care and compassion com before all.
I wholeheartedly and lovingly recommend them.
Wishing you plenty of work and the ability to keep doing good, always!
Thank you!
Warm greetings to our dear friends at Tenufa Bakehila!
We wanted to express our deep thanks
for your tireless dedication and patience
in repairing and painting the homes of elderly residents.
You truly brought light into their eyes...
Dark homes were transformed into lovely, cozy spaces.
The work was done with exceptional cleanliness and order.
With warm wishes and much success, on behalf of the seniors:
Mrs. Tzipi Ella
Mrs. Esther Parush
Mrs. Zehava Hirshenzon
Mr. Menachem Mendel Gutstein
I just want to thank you so much!
I honestly have no words to describe how much your help meant to me.
You’re like angels!
Idan and Tamrat were absolute champs — they handled some seriously tough challenges and were determined to fix whatever they could, going above and beyond.
It feels so good to be at home now.
It’s amazing to know there are people out there with hearts of gold, literally fixing the world — in every sense of the word.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!
From me and the kids 💖
Dear Moti,
How are you?
I just wanted to express my appreciation for your professional work. You surprise me every time — with your patience, your care, and the genuine concern you show for our welfare clients.
There’s no doubt that your reputation speaks for itself — your professional touch is clear in every home you’re called to help in.
Today, you walked into a very difficult and complicated situation, and still, you stepped in with compassion for the family, showing up first thing in the morning to take care of their rundown home. And not only that — you even replaced light fixtures, which is far beyond what is obvious or expected.
On behalf of myself, the family, the neighborhood coordinator, and all the professionals involved in helping this struggling family — we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the paint work in the walls and living room, and for replacing the lights.
It moves us every time to tell you how incredibly human and professional you are, dear Moti.
You're one of a kind.
Thank you so much!
To the team at Tenufa Bakehila,
We, the staff of the Division for Youth and Young Adult Advancement, wish to express our deep and sincere appreciation for your significant contribution to the project “Do It Your Way” — a training program for at-risk youth in renovation and handyman skills.
Your collaboration was essential to the success of the project, enabling the young participants to acquire important professional skills alongside building their self-confidence and belief in their own abilities.
Your generous donation of raw materials and providing access to the shelter for the final project went above and beyond expectations, allowing the youth to experience the entire process—from learning to practical implementation.
The final project, renovating the shelter, provided a unique opportunity for the youth to showcase the skills they acquired during their training, while also giving back to the community. Without your support, this valuable educational and meaningful opportunity would not have been possible.
We look forward to continuing our fruitful cooperation in the future, promoting at-risk youth and offering them meaningful opportunities.
Sincerely,
Assaf Nahari
Western Region Manager, Youth Advancement
Yisrael Keinan
Founder and Instructor of the “Do It Your Way” Workshop