Every one in two Israeli families has made use of Yad Sarah’s wide-ranging services.

Almost thirty years ago, a young Jerusalem high school teacher lent a hot-steam vaporizer to a neighbor with a sick child. Others asked to borrow the device too, and the teacher – Uri Lupolianski – purchased additional vaporizers geared for lending purposes to the large families in his neighborhood. 

Today, Yad Sarah – the organization that rose from those modest beginnings – lends out tens of millions of dollars worth of equipment each year, and saves the economy some $300 million a year in hospitalization and long-term care costs. And it is spreading its unique model to the rest of the world. 

From lending one vaporizer to the huge non-profit enterprise it is today, Yad Sarah has made a difference. And Israel has recognized its contributions, awarding the organization the prestigious Israel Prize in 1994. 

And what happened to the young high school teacher Lupolianski? He became the mayor of Jerusalem! 

Photo Credits: Walla News