Founded in 1972 as a non-profit company, Amigour is a subsidiary of the Jewish Agency and is Israel’s leading sheltered housing company and second largest public housing group.
There are 1,080,000 Israelis over the age of 65, 200,000 of whom live close to the poverty line and cannot afford to purchase or even rent sustainable lodgings. Amigour operates fifty-five housing projects nationwide to provide basic living needs for approximately 7,000 disadvantaged elderly. A large majority of these are new immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Holocaust survivors. They only pay a monthly rent of $75-$90 to Amigour and need to survive on the monthly payment of $800 that they get from the National Insurance Institute of Israel ( Bituach Leumi ) Without Amigour's support, these men and women would face devastation and ruin.
In addition to putting a roof over their heads, Amigour housing projects provide residents with a broad range of social and cultural services in its on-site facilities. This rich and varied programming, which runs the gamut from art workshops to exercise classes and from concerts to volunteering, greatly enhances the residents’ quality of life. Many of these activities are carried out in partnership with community centers, schools, the Israel Defense Forces and local volunteers.
Amigour receives funding for existing projects from the Israeli Government, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the Claims Conference, Keren Hayesod, Federations, Foundations and personal donors.
While Amigour currently provides 6000 residential units ( 1300 residential units were built thanks to the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundaiton) for the elderly, the need is constantly growing with some 27,000 seniors who still lacking proper housing and are on a waiting list.
To counter the critical shortage of nursing facilities in Israel, Amigour has two nursing homes with nine nursing departments together, in Kiryat Yam, providing a combined 320 new nursing beds for Amigour residents. These facilities provide 24-hour care and intensive treatment programs.
As part of its overall philosophy of empowering and respecting its residents, Amigour has initiated a number of unique programs. One such initiative is the “Remembrance & Testimonials Project.” Amigour gathered 1,000 testimonials from its Holocaust survivor residents, compiled them into 50 volumes, and entered them into the Yad Vashem Archives for posterity.
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Mission Statement
Amigour is committed to easing the plight and meeting the needs of disadvantaged elderly men and women living in Israel. It pursues this worthy objective by: constructing affordable housing for the elderly, renovating existing housing for its residents and taking innovative measures to enhance their welfare and quality of life through a multi-faceted network of social, cultural and recreational facilities.
Please click here to download Amigour's Brochure, "On Dignity and Survival".
Please click here to download Amigour's booklet.
