Goldstein’s
Funeral Home
1/3 “People have underlying
conditions that are sometimes
exacerbated by fasting. Ask your
rabbi for a heter to eat if you need
medication or have issues.”
ALEX POLLAK
John Pregulman, a Denver couple who launched the nonprofit 3½ years
ago. In May, the organization announced a new initiative to expand
the aid it provides, partnering with the Seed the Dream Foundation
to launch Kavod Survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund (SHEF).

It’s made possible by a national fundraising campaign with mon-
ey raised in 12 local communities across the country matched dol-
lar-for-dollar by a coalition of national donors. The additional $3.6
million, raised over two years, will be used to help survivors pay for
medical bills, rent, food and home repairs.

“The issue is so striking,” said Amy Israel Pregulman, who serves
as Kavod’s executive director. “It’s such a crisis that’s happening across
the country, and internationally as well, that these individuals who
have suffered a tremendous, horrific experience that most of us can’t
even wrap our heads around, that at this stage in their lives that they’re
still struggling just [with] day-to-day basic needs. When we share the
issue with people, it doesn’t take much for them to say, ‘Oh my gosh,
how can I help?’”
One of the communities that partnered with Kavod to raise funds
for the initiative is Philadelphia, with 100 percent of the money raised
locally going to survivors throughout the area.

40 THE GUIDE 2019/2020



A Northeast NORC employee speaks with a Holocaust survivor.

Goldstein’s Funeral Home
2/3 Normally, it takes about two to three weeks for Kavod to fulfill
funding requests. Locally, such requests will be directed to JFCS via a
hotline: 720-295-8484. JFCS will distribute funds from Kavod SHEF
anonymously to survivors in the form of gift cards or by directly paying
their bills.

Jewish Federation President and CEO Naomi Adler encouraged
survivors and loved ones to call the number and take advantage of the
available resources.

“There are many survivors that are living at or below the poverty
level, which is completely unacceptable given our strong affinity to
ensure that they live the rest of their days with dignity and with as
much help as possible,” Adler said. “Every single person, take a look
at who is in their neighborhood, or in their friend group or [anyone]
who would know a Holocaust survivor who is living in the Greater
Philadelphia area, and take a moment to grab the national phone num-
ber and make sure that every Holocaust survivor knows that if they
have emergency medical or dental or rent or any issue that’s going on
in their lives, there is additional support for them now.”
Kavod founder John Pregulman hopes to raise awareness of sur-
vivor needs through Kavod SHEF and through the nonprofit’s other
project — photographing every Holocaust survivor alive today.

“When you think about these seniors and what they’ve been
through, we’re trying to raise awareness that these people should not
have to suffer again after the suffering they went through 70 years ago,”
John Pregulman said. “It just seems like a much larger problem that
people don’t know about.” l
eschucht@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0751
THE GUIDE 2019/2020
41