"Dad cried in the shower": The organization helping Holocaust survivors

They survived the Holocaust decades ago, but today many of the survivors in Israel are forced to deal with a difficulty of a different kind. The apartments in which they live are flooded with dampness, have safety hazards, and accessibility difficulties. The "Latet" organization is embarking on a race against time and is calling on the public to locate elderly people in need of assistance: "Contact us".

Rivka Kano, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor from Kiryat Gat, deals with a physical disability that almost does not allow her to leave the house. "About three years ago she fell and underwent surgery, and since then her whole world has shrunk to the four walls around her," shares her daughter, Ruti Assiag. "The passage to the shower in her home was narrow and not adapted to her condition, and made it difficult for her to perform such a basic action." She also said that "in order to take her down the stairs in a wheelchair, it was necessary to have three or four people to carry her - every exit from the house became a whole operation. She could not reach family gatherings, participate in events, or simply go outside and see sunlight."

The team of the accessibility unit at the "Latet" organization, whose goal is to carry out physical, technological, and environmental adjustments in the living conditions of Holocaust survivors, arrived at Kano's home. The workers widened the shower opening, adapted the door, and provided the family with a crawler that allows her to be raised and lowered on the stairs safely. "Recently a grandson was born to me," says Ruti, "and thanks to the accessibility we managed to take Mom out of the house and bring her to the family meeting. She was happy, and since then she keeps telling about the experience again and again - it really gave her a new life."

In another case where the unit helped, accessibility adjustments were made in the bathroom of a Holocaust survivor who had difficulty showering independently and safely. After the completion of the works, her daughter, Rita, shared: "Yesterday when Dad went in to shower he cried and could not believe that it was so easy for him to do it."

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics data, as of 2026, about 111 thousand Holocaust survivors live in Israel, of whom about 25% to 30% live in poverty and deal with economic distress. The accessibility and home adaptation unit at the "Latet" organization, which has so far made over 5,000 apartments accessible, operates a unique program whose goal is to allow survivors to continue living in their home independently and in a safe, accessible, and respectful space.

"When we enter the home of a Holocaust survivor, we do not see only walls, but entire lives and memories," explains Lipaz Goren Yochai, the unit manager at the organization. "We do not just do a renovation, but give the person the security to remain in their home, the place where they feel most protected. Unfortunately, the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling, and therefore there is a real sense of urgency to reach everyone who still needs help and allow them to live with dignity."

Eran Weintraub, CEO of the "Latet" organization, added: "A sense of security at home is a basic need of every person, and certainly of the elderly and Holocaust survivors. As their number dwindles, so does our responsibility as a society to ensure that they can age with dignity and in the best possible conditions."

These days, the unit - which operates with the help of donors from Israel and abroad in cooperation with the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors and the Claims Conference - seeks to reach as many Holocaust survivors as possible who need adjustments in their homes. The organization invites survivors, their family members, and professionals accompanying them to apply for assistance in examining needs and promoting solutions for a safer and more independent life. For assistance, you can contact the accessibility and home adaptation unit by phone: 6833*.

Assistance is provided subject to eligibility verification and compliance with the criteria established by the "Latet" organization, the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors, and the Claims Conference.