When something goes terribly wrong at home – a father losing his job, a mother fighting
illness, a family becoming orphaned – the refrigerator and the pantry quickly go empty.
According to a report by the Israeli National Insurance Institute, 1.6 million Israelis live
below the poverty line, with poverty now afflicting one in three of Israel´s children.
The soup kitchen at Jerusalem Open House therefore serves as a lifeline to hundreds of
families teetering on the brink of starvation. This is where unfortunate children and adults
turn for fresh, hot food to fill an empty stomach. This is where life-transforming breakfast,
lunch and dinner meals are served with grace and dignity.
In the early morning hours, we also serve a special population of young yeshiva children
with breakfast and wrapped lunch sandwiches. And since hunger never takes a day off,
neither do we. Our kitchen is open every day of the year without exception: Shabbos,
yom tov, erev Yom Kippur, Motzei Yom Kippur, and even erev Pesach.
Our menus include a full array of hot dishes, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables to replicate
the comfort and nutrition of mealtime at home. Most importantly, we serve the
unfortunates with dignity, sparing them the humiliation of waiting to be invited for a meal,
buying two-day-old bread, or frequenting simcha halls to scrounge for leftovers.
soup kitchen
Dinner with Dignity
"I would love to have the ability to send you a large donation. Were it within my realm of
capability, I would sponsor all of your programs. Unfortunately, I cannot, as I am one of
those saved from starvation by your kitchen on a day-to-day basis. The very least I can
send you is this note of immeasurable thanks…"
– Dina K.
