NY Philanthropist Hires Hotel Rooms For 600 Negev Refugees: ‘No Stopping This Nation’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A chareidi philanthropist from the US has paid an undisclosed sum to a Jerusalem hotel to house refugees from the southern area in Israel and provide for their basic needs.

Yossi Hammer, a businessman from Long Island, heard about the Hamas attacks during the course of last Shabbos and after hearing further details after the end of the festival, he left everything and rushed to Israel. “My heart couldn’t stand it, “he told the Yisrael Hayom newspaper. “I waited for the festival to end and took the first flight to Israel.”

Hammer found hundreds of Israelis waiting for a flight so that they could also participate in the war effort. He said that everyone felt the existential aspect of this war and wanted to join and help.

In Israel he teamed up with the famous philanthropist David Hager from Los Angeles, who is one of the main supporters of the Nahal Haredi brigade. Hammer has taken tens of hotel rooms at the Leonardo Plaza hotel in Jerusalem and has brought 600 people from the Western Negev region to reside in the hotel.

Among the moving stories Hammer has heard concerned a family of 18 people from Sderot whose house was destroyed by a Hamas rocket. The family arrived at the hotel with just one bag of personal items. Hammer organized a shopping expedition for the family and provided them with basic clothes and necessities.

In another instance a boy from Netivot was due to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah, but it was cancelled after his home was wrecked by a rocket and a good friend from his class was killed. Hammer organized a Bar Mitzvah at the hotel, bringing boys from Aish Hatorah to celebrate with the refugee.

Hammer refused to state the sum of donations involved, but said that he and Hager intended to broaden their effort to other hotels and to provide residence for many more regugees. He added that colleagues and business associates both Jewish and gentile who heard of his initiative had asked how they could help.

Hammer said that “Everyone looked at me strangely when I announced that I’m flying to Israel but this is my way to support the people of Israel. Even my 21-year-old son arrived back to study in yeshiva in Israel. There’s no stopping this nation.”