Medical Chesed in Israel: The Directory

In Israel, medical chesed is a national infrastructure. Whether you live there or landed in an Israeli hospital as a visitor, these are the organizations to know. Verified June 2026.

• Ezer Mizion — Bnei Brak. World's largest Jewish bone marrow donor registry · Cancer patient support and transport to treatment · Hospital meal distribution and refreshment services · Special needs children programs · Mental health services · Elderly and homebound support. Founded 1979. One of Israel's largest nonprofits — serves 670,000+ people yearly with a ~$100M annual budget. Flagship medical-chesed umbrella organization.
• Yad Sarah — Jerusalem. Free medical and rehabilitative equipment lending (wheelchairs, oxygen, hospital beds) · 127 branches nationwide staffed by 7,000+ volunteers · Wheelchair-accessible transportation · Home care support services · Emergency alarm service for elderly. Founded 1976. Israel's iconic equipment-lending organization — equipment loaned free against refundable deposit; saves Israel's health system billions (per JNS).
• Ezra LeMarpeh — Bnei Brak. Medical referrals and second opinions led by Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer (Israel Prize 1997) · Guidance to specialists in Israel and abroad · Rehabilitation center · Ambulance services · Support for cancer patients and the seriously ill · Medical equipment assistance. Founded 1979 by Rabbi Firer, Israel's best-known medical referral expert. Located at Beit Zipporen, 24 Chida St, Bnei Brak. Also listed on chesedspot.org directory.
• Refuah VeChaim — Bnei Brak. Free medical consultation line (~1,500 calls/month, incl. Shabbat and holidays) · Hospital meal distribution — ~250,000 light meals/year in ER, pediatrics and oncology wards of central-Israel hospitals · 200 volunteer drivers taking patients to/from hospitals (~170 rides/month) · Bedside volunteer support for patients. ☎ 1800-800-128. Founded 1987. Based at 24 Ahavat Shalom St, Bnei Brak. Covers the hospital-meals/hospitality niche in central Israel hospitals.
• Haverim LaRefuah (Friends for Health) — Bnei Brak. Free Pharmacy — redistributes donated unused medications · Supplies 7,000+ patients monthly with free medication, including expensive drugs outside the national health basket · 450+ medicine packages delivered daily nationwide · Handles bureaucratic/legal aspects of obtaining medications. Founded 2003. Israel's largest umbrella organization for free medicine. Located at Shmuel Hanavi 4, Bnei Brak. Also covered by Jerusalem Post (2026).
• Darchei Miriam — Jerusalem. Free door-to-door private transportation for cancer patients to chemotherapy/radiation (~150 rides/day, 500,000+ rides since founding) · Support for patients' family members · Medicine gemach (lending) · Home help for patient families. ☎ 077-414-7777. Founded 2002 by Rabbi Israel Weingarten in memory of his wife Miriam. Office: 15 Zichron Yaakov St, Jerusalem. Registered amuta 580412815 (GuideStar Israel); US partner is ICSN (icsn.org). Won Jerusalem Mayor's Volunteer Award.
• Zichron Menachem — Jerusalem. Support for young people with cancer (under 25) and their families · House of Dreams day/respite center · Activities in all major Israeli hospitals with pediatric oncology wards · Adventure camps in Israel and abroad · Wig salon and hair-donation program · Parent and sibling support. Founded 1990 by Chaim and Miri Ehrental after losing their son Menachem to leukemia. Israel's leading children's-cancer support organization; also has a Wikipedia entry.
• Kav Lachayim — Israel (nationwide). Support for children aged 6-21 with complex disabilities and rare syndromes · Youth volunteer companionship and mentorship · Community centers and summer camps · Social Pharmacy — medications not covered by the national health basket · Life-saving fundraising campaigns for critically ill patients · Supportive housing for graduates 21+. ☎ 03-9250505. Social movement founded 1989, built on hundreds of youth/citizen volunteers. HQ city not published on English site — phone is the published national line.
• United Hatzalah of Israel — Jerusalem. Free volunteer emergency medical response nationwide · 8,000+ volunteer EMTs, paramedics and doctors · Ambucycle fleet for ~3-minute average response time · Responds to medical emergencies before ambulance arrival, free of charge. ☎ 1221 (emergency dispatch). World's largest independent fully-volunteer EMS organization. HQ: 78 Yirmiyahu St, Jerusalem. 1221 is the published national emergency hotline.
• Yedidim - Siyua BaDerech (Roadside Assistance) — Givat Shmuel. Free 24/6 nationwide roadside assistance (jump-starts, flat tires, lockouts, fuel) · Rescuing children locked in cars (5-8 per day; 5,000+ over three years) · Tens of thousands of volunteers nationwide (reports range 36,000-65,000) · Non-medical emergency civilian assistance. Founded 2006 by Meir Wiener; Israel's equivalent of Chaverim. Received the President's Award for Volunteerism. HQ address (Bialik 54, Givat Shmuel) per Wikidata; also listed on chesedmatch.org directory.
• Matnat Chaim — Jerusalem. Recruits and supports altruistic living kidney donors · Matches donors with Israeli kidney patients awaiting transplant · 2,000+ living kidney transplants facilitated as of January 2026 · Donor accompaniment through the entire process. ☎ +972-2-500-0755. Founded 2009 by Rabbi Yeshayahu Heber z"l; chaired by Rachel Heber (Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement). Address: Nahum Hafzadi 17, Jerusalem. Made Israel the world leader in altruistic kidney donation.
• Rachashei Lev — Ramat Gan (Tel Hashomer). Children's House — medically equipped boutique-hotel lodging for child cancer patients and families on the Sheba Medical Center campus · Adopted the pediatric oncology departments at Sheba and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centers · ~500 children supported yearly · 350 mentors and volunteers plus 30 National Service counselors. Founded 1989. National support center for children with cancer; serves all populations regardless of religion or background. Also covered by Jerusalem Post.
• Ezrat Achim — Beit Shemesh. Medical equipment gemach — free lending from a 200 sqm center · Fleet of wheelchair-accessible vehicles and ambulettes for dialysis/chemo/medical appointments · Hospital shuttle service for patients' family members (hundreds of residents weekly) · Golden Age division for the elderly. Founded 1997 by paramedic Avraham Kopp. Beit Shemesh's central medical-chesed hub, serving all residents regardless of affiliation. Also listed on chesedmatch.org.
• Lemaanchem — Bnei Brak. Free medical consultation, guidance and second opinions for serious illness · Personal counselor assigned per case, accompanying patient through entire treatment journey · Reserve panel of ~70 world-renowned specialist physicians for complex cases · Serves patients of any race, religion or gender. Founded and chaired by Rabbi Yossi Erblich, recipient of the Israeli Presidential Award for Volunteering. One of the two major chareidi medical-navigation organizations alongside Ezra LeMarpeh.
• Magen Lacholeh — Jerusalem. Patient advocacy and linking patients with the right health professionals (130,000+ people helped yearly) · Free transportation including ambulances equipped with respirators and incubators · Medical equipment and rehabilitation aid lending · Help finding hospitals/doctors abroad incl. travel, lodging and partial/full funding · Medical counseling for families. Founded 1991 by Rabbi Benny Fisher on the recommendation of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. All services free with no obligation.
• Beineinu — Jerusalem. Parent-matching program connecting parents of children with the same medical condition/disability · 2,600+ page resource database: medical info, government agencies, providers, funding sources · Used-equipment exchange · Offices in Israel and the US, run by parents of special-needs children. ☎ 072-230-5368. Volunteer-based nonprofit; the de-facto information clearinghouse for frum families navigating pediatric medical and special-needs systems in Israel. Phone is the published Israel office line.
• Chai L'Adam — Haifa & Jerusalem. Free hospital apartments for patients' families: 8 studio units near Rambam Hospital (Haifa) and 8 near Hadassah Har Hatzofim (Jerusalem) · Each unit: 2 beds, kosher kitchen, bathroom — designed especially for Shabbat stays · Financial assistance in medical cases. Fills the hospital-hospitality/Shabbos-accommodation niche near major hospitals where kosher lodging is scarce. Reservation contact published on site is an individual's number, so omitted per hotline-only rule.
• Chaim V'Chessed — Jerusalem. Medical inquiries and Kupat Cholim (health fund) advocacy for English speakers in Israel · Hospital assistance and medical-emergency guidance · Women's health guidance · Government bureaucracy, visas, Bituach Leumi benefits navigation · Handled 5,320 cases in March-April 2026. ☎ 072-243-7733. The primary lifeline for the Anglo/chareidi English-speaking community navigating Israel's healthcare and government systems. Phone is the published Israel line (072-CHESSED).
• Beit Natan — Jerusalem. Cancer support, advocacy and resource center, with focus on women · Support groups, telephone support and therapeutic retreats · Health education and early-detection awareness for under-served populations · Emotional, psychological, social and spiritual support through all stages of diagnosis and treatment. Founded 1995 by Chaya Heller z"l. Serves women throughout Israel, particularly the religious community; also listed in Sharsheret's directory of Israeli breast-cancer organizations.
• Chaiyanu (Chai Lifeline Israel) — Israel (nationwide). Emotional, social and practical support for children with cancer and serious illness and their families · Hospital visitation and in-hospital programs · Respite for parents and dedicated attention for siblings · Israeli branch of the international Chai Lifeline network. Active Israeli branch of Chai Lifeline (founded 1987; Jerusalem office since 1990 per Wikipedia). Office city/phone not published on the English site, so omitted.
• PUAH Institute (Machon Puah) — Jerusalem. Fertility counseling and case guidance in accordance with halacha · Referrals to fertility specialists and step-by-step accompaniment through treatment · Halachic supervision (hashgacha) of fertility labs to prevent error · Education and conferences on fertility, medicine and Jewish law. Founded 1990 at the request of Rav Mordechai Eliyahu. HQ: 19 Azriel St, Jerusalem, with international offices. The leading fertility-and-halacha medical-chesed body.
• Yad Tamar — Israel (nationwide). Volunteer-based practical and emotional support for families coping with cancer · Family-to-family assistance during the crisis of serious illness. Live official site verified; also appears in the Israel Cancer Association's (cancer.org.il) list of assisting organizations. HQ city not verified, so listed as nationwide.

Part of The Worldwide Bikur Cholim Directory. Every listing was verified against the organization's own website or an established communal directory (June 2026). Run an organization that belongs here, or see something to correct? Tell us — listings are free.

Related: What is bikur cholim? · Where to give tzedakah