Triumph Over Addiction: Meet Topaz

Dear Friends,

We want to share with you a story of a woman who touched our hearts deeply—one who reminds us all why we do what we do. Her name is Topaz*, and her life is a testament to the power of redemption, hope, and the incredible strength that can rise from the ashes of despair.

Our team met Topaz in Rishon LeTzion, at the welfare office where we were giving out magnetic gift cards for the high holidays to families in need. She shared her story with us—a story filled with pain, yet overflowing with courage and perseverance. Topaz, now 45, once lived a life controlled by addiction, trauma, and brokenness.

At just 17, she began using hard drugs after suffering a horrific rape, and her life spiraled downward from there. Her service in the army was cut short, and things only worsened as she found herself working in a brothel, sleeping on the streets, and seeing death up close when a friend she was staying with passed away.

For years, Topaz's parents tried to help her, but each time she ran away from rehabilitation centers, too lost in her struggles to accept their help. In 2010, everything changed. After weeks of not eating or showering, a stranger convinced her to go to a rehabilitation center. She had reached rock bottom, and this time, something stirred within her—a glimmer of hope. For a month, she isolated herself from the world, staying in her room and refusing visitors. Sadly, her parents didn’t even come to visit her. They had given up hope, but God had not.

In 2011, her eldest daughter was born in a rehabilitation center, and from that moment on, Topaz knew she had to change—for her daughter, for herself. Slowly, she began rebuilding her life. She returned to Rishon LeTzion in 2012, found work, and rented an apartment. Her journey was far from easy, and she faced further challenges, including a painful diagnosis of fibromyalgia. In 2014 she conceived another daughter and although she decided to break up with her fiance at the time, she kept the baby. Topaz has worked for 13 years at an elderly care company, supporting her family as much as her health allows.

She is a proud mother of two daughters, and while her struggles continue, she is a woman transformed by her determination to rise above her past. Her eldest daughter is in boarding school, and Topaz remains deeply involved in her education, determined to break the cycle of pain and give her daughters the future they deserve.

When we spoke with Topaz, we saw not only a woman who had endured immense suffering, but a woman who had found the strength to heal, to fight, and to overcome. It was your generosity that helped provide her and her family with the gift card that brightened their holiday. Your support does so much more than meet physical needs—it restores dignity, hope, and a future for people like Topaz.

Even as the holidays are over now, we ask you to continue standing with us. Your donations help more families like Topaz’s—families who have faced unimaginable hardships but are filled with hope because of the support they receive.

Your generosity brings light to the darkest places. Please, consider donating today to help us continue reaching those in need across Israel. Together, we can offer a hand of hope to so many more who are waiting for their own story of redemption.


With blessings and gratitude,

The VFI Team

*name has been changed to protect the identity of this person.