Who We Are

Israel Heritage Foundation was established in 1974 by Holocaust survivors, who previously called it Ayshel Avraham and is registered as 501(c)(3).

Ayshel Avraham was a special name that still has historical ties to the Jewish land. Be’er Sheva was once the home of each significant Hebrew patriarch, Avraham, Yitzchok & Yaakov. Avraham planted a tree (אֵשֶׁל, Ayshel) near the well in Be’er Sheva (Genesis 21:33). For thousands of years, this was an important meeting place for merchants and nomads. Nowadays, you can still visit the well and see the tree planted by the forefather of the Jewish nation, Avraham.

While Jews ruled the land for over 1,000 years, two thousand years ago, they were sent into a diaspora spreading them throughout all four corners of the world. Since that fateful day, the Jewish people have longed to go home. Living in exile has not proven easy, and the Holocaust was the last straw. Survivors believed it was more important than ever to re-establish their homeland to ensure these tragedies would never happen again. They held on to the hope and promise of Hashem that one day they would be back in their “Promise Land.”

"Hashem will bring back your exiles, and have mercy on you. Hashem your L-rd will once again gather you from among all the nations where He scattered you. Hashem your L-rd will bring you to the ‘Promise Land’ which your forefathers occupied and you too will take possession of it. Hashem will be good to you and make you flourish more than your ancestors." (Deuteronomy 30:3–5)

The Holocaust is the worst genocide the world has ever seen. Jews were mercilessly killed for no other reason than the fact that they were Jews. Holocaust survivors endured pogroms, inhuman treatment, death camps, and watching their family and friends be killed. It is without question that they chose to re-establish the homeland of their people, promised to them by Hashem, to keep future generations safe and robust. It wasn’t an easy task. After losing 6 million fellow Jews, they were forced to fight another immediate war with all of Israel’s surrounding Middle East countries. More were lost for the battle of their freedom. When the land was won, they faced the obstacle of building an entire nation. Ahavat Yisrael and the love of their country kept their dreams alive. Today Israel is the only Democracy in the Middle East and is known as the light unto all nations. The Holocaust survivor’s dreams came true, and the Israel Heritage Foundation’s mission is to keep that dream alive.

Years later, as the generation of the Holocaust got older, they left their legacy to Dr. Joseph Frager. Today, he is the Executive Vice President and renamed the organization "Israel Heritage Foundation."

Throughout his years of communal work, he has dedicated his time to helping Holocaust survivors in whatever way possible.