KeepOlim’s Mission
This is an ongoing campaign to raise funds for KeepOlim (RA 580613610) a registered non-profit organization, authorized by the Israeli Corporations Authority and the Ministry of Justice.
KeepOlim is a post Aliyah non-profit for All Olim that provides vital programs, services, advocacy and support. The purpose of KeepOlim is to empower, inspire and support Olim to successfully integrate into Israeli society and to keep them in Israel.
“Keep Olim in Israel Movement” actually started out as a Facebook group, over five years ago, to vent about the terrible situation that many Olim faced – and try to help them as we sadly watched Olim leave Israel in droves; This humble beginning has now grown rapidly into a community and non-profit of over 43,000+ Olim from over 100 countries from all different backgrounds, with one simple goal- to keep our Olim in Israel.
We are creating a post-Aliyah support system to help successfully build their lives in Israel. With this support, many Olim will be able to stay in Israel and overcome their struggles. Many Olim are crying out for help! KeepOlim is here to answer their cry!
KeepOlim is building a support system for all Olim in their time of need! We successfully rescued 16 homeless Olim off the streets and put a roof over their heads. We have provided food to many hungry Olim families and Lone Soldiers in our “KeepOlim Feeds Olim” Program. We also help many Olim with their issues with Misrad Hapnim and Misrad Klita & Integration. We are a shoulder for them to cry on and encourage them. Last year alone, we fielded over 70 calls alone of suicidal Olim who contacted us via Facebook.
KeepOlim receives no government assistance or grants and we rely solely on the support of donors. We have a staff of 1 person, the CEO, who gets a small salary and has no office. We are simply overwhelmed working on a shoe string budget. So much money is spent on bringing Olim here but sadly very little is spent on keeping them here.
Testimonials
Nancy Rexin Evans – “And all because one man, together with several other Angels started to decided to do something to help the new Immigrants to make the transition and help wherever and whenever needed, so they started this group to find one another. Mazel tov! May we all help,, including non Jews as God commanded us!”
Susan Weintraub Leibtag– “You have no idea how many people you have helped – I talk about this group to everyone I know and encourage them to join. It helps newbies and oldbies (is that a word?) because no matter how long it’s been since you stepped off the plane, you need support and encouragement. I am in awe.”
Margalith Roos– “Thanks to you Liami and Tzvika we can start to begin living here and not anymore just survive. “
Daniel Cory– “You are the most amazing Oleh I’ve ever seen. It is just amazing that no one before you thought about having services like you have envisioned for your organization!”
Paul Bernstein– “Fantastic in the knowledge that you guys not only have our backs but you fight our corner too!”
Neil Glasser –“Thank you for doing what you are doing and being a voice for the Olim!”
Malka Levine –“Let’s come together and help this great organization; our organization, which through supporting and advocating for Olim, is also playing a crucial part in building this country—our country! Love Jews, love the land, and love the Torah.”
Bri’el Bar Avraham–“Many native- born Israelis and Israeli Lawyers do not know the problems Olim now face. Unless we help ourselves through people like Liami sadly Olim stumble fall down …and there is nobody to turn to help you up!! Next stop…..a plane back to where they came from. Israel then loses gifted Jewish souls that have the potential to make this country a better place!! Mazel tov guys! Keep going!!”
Chaya Gold–“You are setting a serious example of walking the walk, not just talking. This is true love and an example of a good Jew. Every blessing to you, Liami, with the huge heart!”
Louise Mehlman Lipert Maery- “Thanks so much for all you do. Its great knowing there is a lifeline if its needed. And it really is needed!”
Our Programs and Services
KeepOlim Feeds Olim
What started out as a side project of KeepOlim – procuring food for hungry Olim – has now expanded into a brand new program “KeepOlim Feeds Olim”
Before Rosh HaShanah 2020, KeepOlim realized there was desperate need to feed hungry Olim during the Corona Crisis. We gave out over 24,000 shekels of Gift Cards to Rami Levi to Olim families and Lone Soldiers in need, across Israel for the holidays.
The Board of KeepOlim then made a commitment to continue feeding our hungry Olim declaring that “as we are the only post Aliyah organization for all Olim it was our duty to help Olim during this difficult Corona Crisis with many of our Olim being unemployed”.
As of November 2020, we have distributed 40,000 shekels worth of Gift Cards to our Olim and Lone Soldiers.
KeepOlim Free Mental Health Counseling for All Lone & Olim Soldiers
KeepOlim, provides Free Mental Health Counseling to All Lone and Olim Soldiers before, during and after the Army in their own native language. Our staff of dedicated volunteer Olim Therapists under the direction of Dr. Robert Lubin and Susan Cohen have a weekly case load of 51 Lone Soldiers who receive Free One to One Counseling from our amazing therapists and we just started this program a few months ago.
KeepOlim’s Mental Health Program
KeepOlim Low Cost Subsidized Mental Health Program
Sadly, more than ⅓ of all suicides in Israel are Olim. There is a huge crisis in the Olim community due to the of lack of mental health services for Olim in their native languages. We have had 15 ODs and suicides in our group in the last 5 years. Most were young Olim and a number of them were Lone Soldiers after the Army. It is so sad that these Olim, who came to Israel to live their dreams, were instead eaten up by the land that they so loved. If they only had reached out for help, that is why what we do is so important.
Last year alone over 70 suicidal Olim reached out to KeepOlim via Facebook, messages through our website and phone calls directly to the CEO for help! We gave them a shoulder to cry on and referred them to our volunteer therapists. We even helped those who needed to be hospitalized, get the treatment they needed and contacted their families overseas.
KeepOlim is developing a program to combat depression among Olim. Mental Health care in Israel for Olim in their native languages is extremely limited. Olim sometimes wait for months to speak to a counselor in their native language through Chupat Cholim. Many times, there is no therapist that speaks their language. Israel’s suicide hotline ERAN has volunteers that speak only Arabic and Hebrew, providing no help for desperate Olim in their time of need and in their native languages. Moreover, after terror attacks occur in Israel – unsettling for anyone but especially difficult for Olim, the municipality crisis hotlines don’t give any support in any language besides Hebrew and Arabic, leaving the Olim who needs support the most -without!
KeepOlim, When Olim Have Nowhere to Turn
Depressed Olim lacking jobs, friends and family quickly lose hope as they have nowhere to turn. That is why KeepOlim is developing Low Cost Subsidized Mental Health Services in the Olim’s native language. Our program has over 60 Olim therapists that speak over 15 languages and who understand the issues of Olim, as they themselves are Olim. Our program is overseen by co-directors Dr. Robert Lubin and Susan Cohen.
Free Support Groups for Mental Health for Corona Crisis on Zoom
The first part of KeepOlim’s Mental Health Program is Support Groups. During the Corona Crisis KeepOlim organized 30 Free Support Groups in 5 languages via Zoom for our Olim Community to discuss their issues relating to Corona. Fear, loneliness, anxiety, stress, longing for the families and living in Israel are the topics of these Support Groups led by experienced Olim Therapists. Each Support Group with about 6 participants each, meets for 1 hour over 4 weeks and then the hope is the participants will support each other and bond, forming lasting friendships.
KeepOlim started our Support Group Program last year before Corona hit. We had 13 groups in 3 languages in 5 cities across Israel. Our Support Groups consisted of up to 10 individuals meeting with an experienced Oleh therapist. The support groups meet once a week for 8 weeks and only cost 200 shekels per participant for the 8 sessions. If an individual cannot afford the support group, KeepOlim subsidizes the cost. No one is turned away due to lack of funds. Over ½ of the 110 participants in this Pilot Program did not pay the full amount and KeepOlim paid the difference. We are losing money on every group as many Olim that need these services lack the funds.
The Pilot Program for Support Groups was conducted in English, Spanish, and Russian. Other languages including French, Portuguese, Amharic and Kuki (the language of the Bnei Menashe) will follow once the program expands. The pilot program dealt with various issues concerning your lives as Olim such as depression, job search, loneliness, language, culture barriers, adjusting to Israel, family issues, etc.
KeepOlim Crisis Hotline in 5 Languages
The second part of our program is a KeepOlim Crisis Hotline. It will be available in over 5 languages that will be staffed by trained Olim therapists that speak the languages of Olim. There is a dire and intense need for this hotline, as within the last 4 years we have dealt with over 260 calls from desperate Olim in a crisis situation.
As part of this Crisis Hotline we will have a Special Line for Lone Soldiers to call in anonymously and talk to our therapists. Many of the calls that we receive are Lone Soldiers that are too scared to talk to their commanders about their mental health as their profiles in the army will go down and their guns may get taken away. There is a crisis of suicides and OD’s of Lone Soldiers during and after the army.
The estimated budget for this Special Crisis Hotline for Olim will be about $285,000 a year to operate, a small price to pay for Olim who have nowhere else to cry out for help in their time of need.
Low Cost Quality Subsidized Individual Counseling Sessions
The third part of our program is“Low Cost Quality Subsidized Individual Counseling Sessions” in the Olim’s native language with experienced qualified therapists. These sessions are designed to help Olim overcome their own personal issues that they face, as well as empower them in their new homeland. Each Israeli is entitled to 15 sessions of therapy through their Chupat Cholim. However, there are often no staff that speak their language. Many Olim have to wait for months to see a therapist that speaks their language and if they are lucky enough to get one, these therapists have a hard time connecting as they don’t really understand the problems of Olim and have even dismissed the concerns of Olim leading to very serious situations and sadly, in certain cases death.
Each Oleh requesting assistance in KeepOlim’s Counseling Program will register, have an initial intake session and be given a number of subsequent sessions. Each session will cost around 100 shekels – the patient will pay ½ and KeepOlim will pay ½. If the patient can’t afford it, the sessions will be given on a sliding scale with KeepOlim paying the difference. In most cases KeepOlim will pay almost all of the cost as we’ve discovered that the Olim that need this the most have no money.
Our counselors currently see about 85 low income Olim & Lone Soldiers on a weekly basis almost all for free.
Free Legal Aid
Here at KeepOlim, we provide free legal services for Olim during their first year in Israel. For many Olim, signing contracts for apartments, jobs, or services in Hebrew can be frightening experience.
Many Olim get into trouble and in many cases are ripped off when they sign contracts without fully understanding them.
Over 1,000 Olim have been helped by our team of lawyers, who volunteer to fight for Olim.
Siennicki Joanna: “Thanks to Tzvika I win! You are amazing!”
Catherine Lawrence: An immense thank you to Tzvika Graiver I would have left Israel if it wasn’t for him.”
No Oleh Alone Program for the Holidays
Many of our Olim have no family in Israel to celebrate the holidays with, which leads to a time of extra stress with the feeling of loneliness and nowhere to celebrate.
That’s why we created “No Oleh Alone” for Rosh Hashanah and Pesach, where Olim are personally placed with warm embracing Israeli hosts families.
KeepOlim was able to cater to a wide variety of Olim, from ultra-Orthodox Chasidim to totally secular vegetarian celebrations. We have placed over 1300 Olim in this program which has developed friendships for many of the participants.
About 40% of the participants are Russian/Ukrainian Olim, and for about 30% of them this was their first time celebrating any Jewish holidays.
Sharon Altshul– “ Moadim l’simcha Seder worked out great, thank you for all your efforts. And who would imagine that Josh and Maria had someone in common. Love the small world here. It is a great initiative and your personal involvement. simply amazing. Thank you for introducing us to Josh, Maria and Misha.”
Denis Perchersky –“Thanks a lot for suggesting Barry and Julie! It was like a real family, so nice and amazing!! Thank you”
Enid Arfer Shiansky –“The program is wonderful! After being in Israel for only 2 days we were welcomed to a very warm and friendly family for Pesach! The Seder was great! Thank you!”
Bikur Cholim Program (visiting the sick)
No family or friends around, not understanding Hebrew. It can be a very scary time, so that’s why KeepOlim created the Bikur Cholim Program.
Free Resume Service
We have helped hundreds of Olim rewrite and tailor their resumes for the Israeli job market and in some cases found employment for them!
Ivan Lurie -Thanks to KeepOlim who not only fixed and rewrote my resume for free but also thru their contacts got me a job interview at Payoneer. They called me today to say that I’d be a great addition to the team! Thank you so much KeepOlim!!!
Denis Egorov -“I would like to say a great thanks to KeepOlim and Liami personally for supporting and keeping me up when i was about to give up. I am here for 2.5 months. Liami helped A LOT with my CV by advising me on the phone and through e-mail correspondence. He also kept saying i would succeed here and there was no time to be negative. And you know what: Liami, you are right! I have found a job i was thinking of. Now i am very happy. This is vitally important to me. Live long, KeepOlim. You help us to believe!
KeepOlim University
Our courses are designed to inspire, motivate and empower Olim and to give them the tools they need to succeed in all facets of their lives.
KeepOlim Workshops
Many Olim get taken advantage of because of their lack of knowledge in these areas.
We also have workshops on starting a business in Israel, “Accelerating Your Career in Israel” and many more. All these workshops are free to Olim.
Social Programs and Events
KeepOlim Advocacy & Non Political Lobby
- In July 2017, we successfully advocated for a change in the law to enable all Olim to get their drivers licenses converted to Israeli ones. Now, any Oleh who has been driving 5+ years and has lived in Israel for less than 5 years may simply convert their drivers licenses at the Driving License Bureau.
- We established the first non-political Lobby (Shdula) in the Knesset to advocate on behalf of All Olim. KeepOlim representatives regularly speak in the Knesset meetings and hearings to help all of our Olim.
- On July 9th, 2018 our Lobby had a very special debut meeting in the Knesset with over 150 KeepOlim supporters as well as many Knesset Members from different political parties coming together to discuss the many issues concerning Olim.
Melissa Dubinsky “Kol Hakavod to KOIM! Thanks to you I received my driver’s license yesterday. Yippee! “
Benyamina Sharon-Schreiber “I just passed my 4th road test after spending 2000 nis in testing fees and lessons. I’m glad new olim won’t go thru the aggravation I did
Mauricio Lévy–“You should run for a sit at the Knesset!! You made more for Olim in the last couple of months than nobody else did since the state was established !!”
KeepOlim is accomplishing what the government and what no one organization has ever done before for all Olim!
With no office, administrative support, secretaries, grant writers, we truly are making the impossible happen! We are giving Olim much needed vital programs, services, advocacy and support within a large community!
We are doing this on a shoe string budget, with a staff of one paid person the CEO, who is paid a very low salary and no office.
Spending a little bit of money on Keeping Olim here giving them the vital services that they need to succeed here is a great sound investment! Investing in the Absorption of Olim will make Israel a stronger more prosperous country!
We have one simple goal – to keep Olim in Israel!
Please help us continue to be a Lifeline for all Olim!
For more information please visit our website (which is now in both English and Russian). www.Keepolim.org