February 28th, 2020 – Sunday saw the team of volunteers in yet another location in Haifa, helping 64 people to fit eye glasses, most of them from the former USSR. The quote of the day from one survivor that expressed the opinion of most: “As people who have come from the former Soviet Union, we are amazed to receive free eyeglasses and to have you smile and show us kindness.”. In a different location, 65 more people received eye glasses, including new immigrants from Belarus, Ukraine and Siberia.

The clinic visited Bat Yam for the first time ever. Maria, the local coordinator, did a great job preparing for the clinic. Her group was very appreciative.

In Ma’ale Adumim in the south of Israel, 41 elderly people and Survivors of the Holocaust were assisted with glasses. It was the first visit of the clinic here as well, travelling 2 hours each way, but it was worth it to see the elderly smile as they received the glasses from the loving hands of the team of Mobility and Eye Clinic.

One of the elderly who was helped in Tel Aviv was a sweet lady with two pairs of extremely old and damaged glasses held together with a rubber band. She was not embarrassed, it was just how she coped with her circumstances. She was so delighted to have new glasses for reading, for distance and clip-on sunglasses, that she could not hold back smiles and even a bit of laughter.

We also helped a 93 year old man named Yosef who had his entire family killed in the Holocaust and had tears as he spoke of his loss. Yosef said he speaks 6 languages and was a professor.

At the end of this week one of the volunteers remarked: “Each day we experience vivid reminders of why our assistance is such a help to the people we serve.”