NEW YORK โ Holocaust survivors supported by The Blue Card gathered on Chanukah at the Consulate General of Israel in New York to deliver care packages intended for 20 hostages recently released from Hamas captivity in Gaza.
The initiative was carried out in partnership with Nachas Health and Family Network. Consulate officials confirmed that the packages will be delivered to the former hostages as soon as possible.
While only three Holocaust survivors were physically present at the consulate for the Chanukah delivery, organizers stressed that the effort represented the work and intentions of a much larger group. The care packages were assembled earlier this year by dozens of survivors who participated in The Blue Cardโs Adolph and Lotte Rosenberg Holocaust Survivor Retreat, held this past summer in the Catskills.
The retreat offered elderly Holocaust survivors a rare opportunity to rest, connect with peers, and experience a sense of healing. Many participants live with physical limitations, financial hardship, and social isolation. For them, the retreat and the subsequent Chanukah initiative provided a meaningful way to remain connected to the broader Jewish community and its future.
During the Catskills retreat, survivors met former hostage Andrei Kozlov, whose account of captivity and survival left a lasting impression. According to organizers, Kozlovโs resilience deeply resonated with the survivors, many of whom saw echoes of their own experiences in his story.
Inspired by that encounter, survivors felt compelled to take concrete action in support of those who endured captivity in Gaza. The Chanukah care packages were conceived as an expression of empathy and solidarity grounded in lived experience.
Chanukah, a holiday centered on perseverance, faith, and Jewish survival, was chosen intentionally for the delivery. Organizers said the timing reflected a desire to bring light and encouragement to former hostages as they begin rebuilding their lives after returning home.
โHolocaust survivors and former hostages share a uniquely painful bond shaped by survival and resilience,โ said Masha Pearl, executive director of The Blue Card. โAfter witnessing a mass shooting at a Chanukah event in Sydney, it felt even more urgent for our survivors to deliver these care packages now, spreading light at a moment that feels dark for the entire Jewish world.โ
โThe resilience of the Holocaust survivors we assist, the former hostages, and now the survivors of the attack in Australia reminds us that even in the face of hatred and violence, the Jewish people remain united,โ Pearl added.
Each care package included practical and comforting items such as water bottles, teas, chap sticks, socks, a blanket, and a candle. Most meaningful to recipients, organizers said, were the handwritten notes of encouragement from Holocaust survivors. The notes were written by individuals who understand in deeply personal terms what it means to survive prolonged trauma and emerge with dignity and hope.
For many survivors, the act of giving carried profound emotional significance. Having lived through the Holocaust, survivors expressed that offering comfort to former hostages was both empowering and healing, reinforcing the unbreakable bond between generations shaped by trauma, resilience, and survival.
New York City is home to approximately 14,700 Holocaust survivors, according to Jewish communal estimates. Many are elderly, live alone, and struggle financially, with a significant number living below the poverty line. Through initiatives such as this one, The Blue Card aims not only to provide material assistance but also to ensure survivors remain connected, valued, and engaged within the Jewish community.
Founded in 1934 in Nazi Germany and re established in the United States in 1939, The Blue Card is Americaโs leading nonprofit providing direct assistance to Holocaust survivors in need. The organization offers financial aid, medical support, and emotional assistance, helping survivors afford rent, food, and essential healthcare. It also works to raise public awareness about the Holocaust and the rise of antisemitism.
Organizers said the Chanukah delivery reflected the enduring strength of the Jewish people across generations. In the face of ongoing trauma and uncertainty, they said, the gesture served as a reminder that shared memory and mutual responsibility remain central pillars of Jewish life.
