Israel Emergency Campaign - Our Community's Response
January 29, 2024
We are proud to announce a new transfer of over $1 million from our Israel Emergency Campaign (IEC). This is our fourth transfer of funds and brings the total transferred to approximately $7.5 million.
It has been 114 days since October 7th and Israel is facing challenges that continue to evolve and deepen as time goes by and the war continues. The IEC Allocations Committee, chaired by Stephen Gaerber, has reviewed funding proposals with great care to ensure that this latest round of allocations addresses the developing needs on the ground.
To give you a sense of what Israelis are facing at this stage, we asked Rachel Sachs, the director of our Israel office to provide this summary:
As the army continues to fight in Gaza, the loss of soldiers’ lives and the ongoing state of captivity of 136 Israelis in Gaza is a growing and unbearable burden that is taking its toll on Israelis across the country. In the last few weeks, many reservists have been released from duty, with the understanding that they may get called up again. Their return home, after months in the battlefield, has sparked a new set of challenges in their families, their professional paths, academic journeys, and more.
The evacuation of approximately 130,000 Israelis from the north and the south continues.
Some remain housed in hotel rooms across the country, often miles away from home. Some residents of these frontline communities remain determined to return home the minute they will be allowed to, some remain determined that they will never go back, and others are trying to determine what it will take for them to return, both in terms of their sense of security, and actual security itself.
Many of the devastated communities of the Gaza Envelope have either found, or are seeking, sites to which they can relocate together.
Until their home kibbutzim are rebuilt, that is. They have been taken in by communities across the country, where they are, hopefully, experiencing a small sense of home for the first time since they fled their real homes months ago.
The mental and emotional toll of this extended situation is growing, as the need for ongoing care and therapy for survivors, bereaved families, and evacuated communities continues in multiple locations across Israel.
In our partnership region of the Upper Galilee, the state of emergency continues.
There is great uncertainty and concern over when the “day after” will be and what will it look like. There is ongoing outreach to evacuated residents, with the understanding that community resilience is a critical factor in bringing people back home and offering them a hopeful future, together, in the north.
Funding for this round of allocations is focused in four areas: Emergency and humanitarian needs, respite for evacuees, economic support, and targeted populations.
The following organizations are recipients of funding from this round of IEC allocations:
Adler Institute
Support programs for returning reservists and their families to address the specific needs related to returning from service, as defined by the reservists themselves.
Haruv Institute
A leader in training professionals who treat children suffering from trauma, abuse, and neglect, the Haruv Institute is providing training for Eshkol Region healthcare professionals who are treating children.
Yeelim Center at Ein Yael
Nature therapy for survivors of the Nova festival, families of soldiers, evacuees, and more.
Ziv Medical Centre
Funding to expand Ziv Medical Centre's emergency mental health work, so the hospital — itself in the line of fire and operating in emergency mode — can respond to the evolving needs and growing numbers of patients.
Kiryat Shmona Psychiatric Unit
Currently operating from a temporary location in Tiberias, funding will be directed to build a safe room at the Kiryat Shmona facility to ensure that they can keep up treatment with patients when they return home.
Upper Galilee Hospice
Support for terminally ill evacuated patients and their caregivers.
Yozmot Atid
Support for the growing number of businesswomen who have been evacuated, some of whom also have spouses who have been serving as reservists for the past three months.
Israel Diving Federation
Therapeutics diving excursions for survivors and evacuees from both Northern and Southern Israel.
Taglit-Birthright Israel
Funding for week-long respites for residents of the Eastern Galilee. Normally a provider of Israel trips to Jewish young adults, Taglit-Birthright Israel is now providing respite for communities that have not been evacuated officially, but where homes are still within range and many facilities are closed.
Road to Recovery
Transportation for evacuees from across the country to reach their treatment sessions in their home regions, which are now often miles away.
Hannaton Education Center
Support for Kibbutz Hannaton to continue to house families of asylum seekers from Sderot, who were evacuated and have nowhere else to go.
Beit Issie Shapiro
Rehabilitation and therapy programs for displaced families of individuals with disabilities.
December 4, 2023
We are proud to announce a new transfer of funds of just under $1.6 million to support urgent needs in Israel.
This is our third transfer of funds since the October 7th attack and brings the total transferred from our Israel Emergency Campaign to just under $6.5 million. This latest transfer is designed to support current needs while also providing impactful assistance for the mid-term. To date, Jewish Federation has raised over $17.3 million through the Israel Emergency Campaign.
Here's how we are able to make an immediate impact:
One of the reasons we have been able to allocate such significant funding in such a short period of time is that donors have been making payment of their pledges in full, rather than simply pledging now and paying later. We are deeply appreciative of this, as are the people these funds are helping. If you are planning to give to the Israel Emergency Campaign, or if you have pledged previously, please make a gift paid in full today so we can continue to make an impact immediately.
Israel and its citizens are transitioning from emergency mode to emergency routine. To meet the current needs and circumstances and to provide impactful assistance, the Israel Emergency Campaign Allocations Committee has developed a framework for allocations going forward and includes support in the following areas:
Emergency and Basic Needs
Addressing the basic needs of survivors, evacuees, and all Israelis during the war, including emergency assistance to those directly impacted by the Oct 7th attack.
Evacuation, Housing, Respite and Support for Frontline Communities
Addressing the immediate needs of people from evacuated communities who have been displaced for an unknown duration of time, so they can regain a semblance of normalcy and build resilience, through educational programs, respite, and related supports.
Emergency Health and Trauma Care
Providing emergency care to survivors and evacuees who have experienced traumatic events and require immediate support. Supporting medical centers on the frontline to increase their ability to address emergency situations along the country’s borders.
Civil Society and Loss of Livelihood
Supporting strategic approaches to minimizing the drastic negative effect of societal challenges such as divisions between groups of the population, destruction of community life, loss of livelihood and a significantly decreased sense of resilience and security, all of which are sources of concern and anxiety for many Israelis.
Targeted Populations
Supporting vulnerable groups with unique, disadvantaged circumstances.
Allocations Summary:
- Sha'ar HaNegev: Young adult retreat for second group of attack survivors
- Pitachon Lev: Emergency humanitarian aid
- Shahaf Foundation with Kiryat Shmona Community Centre: Capacity building for evacuated municipalities
- Summer Camps Israel MRGFF: Winter camps for evacuated children
- Yozmot Atid: Mentorship for women small business owners
- Elem: Safe spaces for at-risk youth
- Kishorit: Support community of adults with disabilities on the Northern Frontline
- Beit Halochem: Therapeutic services for veterans and newly wounded
- Leket Israel: Supporting food distribution from farms in the South to vulnerable populations
- Israeli Hostages Advocacy Fund: Supporting frontline work and international advocacy to release the hostages
- Shalva: Emergency housing for evacuees
- Magen David Adom: Ambulance purchase
- Dror Israel: Youth programs and respite
November 6, 2023
Jewish Federation has raised $16.3 million to address the crisis in Israel. We are distributing $2.8 million to support the needs of survivors and evacuees.This second distribution is in addition to the $2.1 million already hard at work on the ground in Israel.
As Israel transitions from ‘emergency mode’ to ‘emergency routine’, citizens nationwide are bracing for what is likely to be a long and challenging period. Over 300,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes and communities, their lives turned upside down, physically and emotionally. Their needs range from mental health support to temporary burial service (in unbearable numbers) to educational activities to daily necessities and more..
Supporting Survivors and Evacuees
- Survivors of the attack who are unable to return to their communities.
- Family members of those missing and taken hostage.
- Residents of southern and northern communities evacuated for safety measures and now dispersed across Israel, from Eilat to the southern Golan Heights.
Allocation Summary
Bring Them Back Home
Psychological support for the families of those missing and held hostage.
Beit Issie Shapiro
Treatment and respite for evacuees and survivors with disabilities.
Ramat Negev Regional Council
Kitchen Centers for evacuated communities.
Mobile shelters for Bedouin schools.
Shaar Hanegev Regional Council
Respite and treatment for young adults and terror attack survivors.
Tel-Hai College
Supporting students and alumni in the south through stress and trauma teams and art centres.
Mashabim Community Stress Prevention Center
Mental health care for the northern communities.
Galila
Medical kits for communities of the Eastern Galilee Cluster.
October 17, 2023
Federation Sends Massive Funding to Israel
Jewish Federation has raised over $12 million to address the crisis in Israel.
We have made our first transfer of $2.1 million to the following organizations and priorities, focused on the urgent needs of the moment. Future allocations will be addressed by a special Emergency Campaign Allocations Committee, chaired by past Board Chair, Stephen Gaerber.
Southern Israel
We are meeting the immediate needs of the people directly affected and who continue to be at highest risk as the war continues.
Jewish Agency for Israel
Victims of Terror Fund
Immediate grants to assist victims, as needed, within 48 hours of their homes being damaged by rocket fire alongside long-term rehabilitation grants to allow those impacted by terrorism to receive the post trauma care they require.
Respite for Olim Living in the South
Providing a five-day respite period for 2,000 olim from absorption centers in Southern Israel, so they can sleep through the night without fear of running all night and day to shelters. Olim who do not want to leave their homes will benefit from respite activities within the absorption centers so that their children and teens will have entertainment and educational programming that enables them to take their minds off the current situation temporarily and allows their parents to have a few moments to themselves to address their own needs.
Joint Distribution Committee
Support for Disabled Populations of the South
Services for people with disabilities, including a designated hotline staffed by psychologists and social workers.
Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC)
Direct Mental Health Care
Immediate, direct care to minimize the number of people who suffer from PTSD. In addition to providing their usual crisis care, ITC is supporting bereaved families, families of the missing and abducted, and the injured and their families.
Israel Association of Community Centres
Emergency Financial Aid
Funding for community centres in two Southern communities will have the flexibility to cater to the varied needs in each community, such as busses to evacuate residents, day outings to amusement parks and nature excursions, overnight retreats, purchasing of emergency and medical equipment and provisions, electricity generators, recreational equipment for children, food parcels, diapers, toiletries, and more.
Dror Israel
Evacuated and Hospitalized Teens and Youngsters
Therapeutic and educational programs for children and families in Rehovot, Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, and Ashkelon, with more locations opening as soon as deemed safe. Daycare for children of hospital workers, day camp activities at hospitals for kids ages 3-12, as well as in-person and online programming. Dror Israel is working with communities in which it is already embedded and with whom the counselors already have established trusting relationships.
Kedma
Southern Student Communities
Kedma is working with mental health professionals to provide on-the-ground support to the shattered communities of the south and encourage students to come together as a community. This includes support and informal programming to fortify community resilience and minimize risk of PTSD. Funds will support 10 communities over three months.
United Hatzalah
Protective Gear for Volunteers and Helpers
Funding for 40 protective gear units for 40 first responders.
Shalva
Supporting Disabled Residents of Southern Israel
Over, 1,000 evacuees with disabilities from Southern Israel are expected to arrive at the Shalva National Crisis Response Center over the next two weeks. Funding will ensure that they have the clothing, medications and supplies they need, while providing them with the social services support they require to process the recent trauma.
Beit HaLochem
Supporting Veterans from Southern Israel
Support for senior veterans suffering from PTSD as well as newly injured veterans.
Upper Galilee Partnership Region
Thousands of residents of our partnership region in Northern Israel have been evacuated, we are also providing emergency preparedness funding which will be directed to strengthening preparedness with emergency war rooms for community centres in our partnership region. As well as a week's worth of food and other necessities to vulnerable families in Kiryat Shmona in the event of an attack.
These initial emergency grants mark the beginning of our sustained commitment to aiding the people of Israel in the upcoming weeks and months. We will continue to monitor closely the evolving situation and needs to prioritize the next round of grants. We are committed to providing transparent updates about how we are directing donor dollars for the greatest impact.
Please support the Israel Emergency Campaign today.
100% of emergency funds contributed will be directly targeted to respond to the crisis situation. Apart from credit card processing fees, no administrative charges will be levied by Jewish Federation or its agents in the disbursement of these emergency funds.