Ezer Mizion: The Helping Hand from Zion

Establishment and Activities

Ezer Mizion was established in 1979 and officially registered in 1985. Initially, the organization operated from Chollak's own home. Today, its headquarters is located in the "Ezer Mizion House," a multi-story building in Bnei Brak, near the Ma'ayanei Hayeshua Hospital.

The organization's name is derived from a verse in the Book of Psalms: "He will send assistance from the sanctuary and support you from Zion" (Psalms 20:3), chosen in memory of Rabbi Ben Zion Chollak, the father of Chananya Chollak, who served as a supervisor at the Ponovezh Yeshiva.

Ezer Mizion operates through a variety of initiatives and programs designed to preserve the dignity and independence of those it assists and improve their quality of life.

The organization has approximately 40 branches and service centers in 25 cities across Israel. Ezer Mizion employs nearly 10,000 people, and its operations involve approximately 30,000 volunteers. In 2019, the organization's annual budget stood at approximately 540 million shekels. It serves over 720,000 individuals each year.

The National Bone Marrow Donor Registry

In 1996, Israel conducted its first-ever bone marrow donor drive. The initiative aimed to collect bone marrow samples from potential donors. Around 5,000 potential donors were recruited in the first campaign. Two years later, in 1998, Moti and Dr. Bracha Zisser, in collaboration with Ezer Mizion, established the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry to increase the number of potential bone marrow donors in Israel.

In 2005, Ezer Mizion signed a partnership agreement with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called "Enlisting for Life." Under this program, every IDF draftee could join the bone marrow registry as an integral part of their military service. As of 2020, over 576,700 soldiers had joined the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry through this initiative, and 2,174 life-saving transplants were performed for IDF soldiers.

In 2009, Ezer Mizion conducted the world's largest donor recruitment campaign. In a single day, 64,000 donors were added to the registry in an effort focused on saving the life of a young girl named Amit Kadosh.

In 2018, a comprehensive and large-scale recruitment campaign targeting the Ethiopian community was carried out. In the same year, the Ezer Mizion Bone Marrow Collection Center, named after Moti Zisser, was established in Petah Tikva.

In January 2020, Israel crossed the milestone of one million bone marrow samples collected, making it the world leader in terms of samples collected relative to its population size. The significant number of samples collected has led to 3,466 bone marrow transplants since the registry's establishment.

Awards and Recognitions

Throughout its years of operation, Ezer Mizion has received numerous awards and recognitions from municipal and national authorities. Among them:

    *  "City Mayor Awards" and "City Shield" from the municipalities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ra'anana, Bat Yam, Or Yehuda, and Kiryat Gat.

Ezer Mizion has made significant contributions to society through its extensive network of services, saving lives through its bone marrow registry, and providing vital support to those in need, all while receiving accolades and honors for its dedication and impact.