Nir Baram, volunteer truck driver Israeli bus drivers are a legendary lot. They ply the streets and highways of Israel at breathtaking speed, whisking their passengers to destinations near and far. Their crusty reputation is well-deserved. They are not famous for their sensitivity. But then, this is Israel, the land of the sabra ― prickly on the outside, and sweet as honey within. Forty-two-year-old Nir Baram is your classic case. On his intercity route he burns rubber with the best of them. And heaven help the hapless passenger who is a minute late. No one would ever guess that this grizzled father of five spends his spare time picking up food and clothing for Yad Eliezer. Even his wife has no clue what he is up to during those extended hours away from home. "This is my mitzvah," he says. "It's no one else's business." So the next time you take a bus in Israel, look closely at the hand on the steering wheel. It might well be the hand of Yad Eliezer.
Nuriel Shrim, of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture   Tova Menachem, mother of eight   Moshe Danino, a farmer in the Negev   Irena, cancer patient   Ido Marak, bank manager in Jerusalem   Moshe Zahav, wheelchair-bound   Morris Sarfati, owner/manager of auto repair centers   Yossie and David, neighborhood grocery store owners   Elisha Serchi, laundry man   Chagit Binyamini, mother of ten