Hazon Yeshaya is named for Isaiah's prophecies of a world without poverty and pain.

Hazon Yeshaya was established in 1997 by Abraham Israel, a successful businessman from New York who was born in Egypt. As a child, after the Suez War of 1956, when the situation for Jews in Egypt worsened, he and his family had to flee the country to escape persecution. Forced to leave all their assets in Egypt, they set off to France where they stayed for three years and were forced to line up to eat in a soup kitchen in Paris. They finally fulfilled their dream and reached the “land of opportunity” upon their arrival in the United States. Abraham obtained a degree in business, entered the business world and became a successful shoe importer.
 

On relocating with his family to Israel, Abraham chanced upon a destitute woman in Israel, with empty shelves in her kitchen and no idea where her next meal would come from. He was astounded by her situation, and even more so when he learned that there are hundreds of thousands of sick and elderly Jews and children living in unbelievable poverty in Israel. This was the turning point in Abraham's life when he resolved to help as many as he could, in order to pay forward the kindness that he and his family had received in France. He opened a small kitchen with his own funds to feed 17 starving Jerusalem residents, and this has grown to become the largest soup kitchen network in Israel.

Today, Abraham dedicates himself to feeding, healing and training Israel’s poorest. He travels overseas constantly and draws no salary, preferring to keep Hazon Yeshaya’s costs to a minimum in order to feed more hungry people.

Since Abraham himself knows what it is like to be poor and hungry, he works up to 18 hours per day, drawing no salary whatsoever, to ensure that the needs of the poverty-stricken are met. It is not uncommon for him to shed tears when he hears the personal story of someone new needing the soup kitchens' services and he is saddened every time he has to increase the number of meals he serves.

In 2008, Abraham received the prestigious Mayor of Jerusalem Volunteer Award for his exceptional contribution to advancing the welfare and quality of life of Israel's neediest persons. (picture above)

While Hazon Yeshaya now helps thousands of people every day, Abraham’s dream is to extend his programs into every city that needs a soup kitchen, ensuring that no one will be left hungry for even a single day.

To contact Abraham Israel, email: Abraham(at)hazonyeshaya.org