JDC
The rocket fire, riots, and violence across Israel are taking a toll. The sirens awaken past traumas and as always, JDC’s concern is for the most vulnerable: Elderly and people with disabilities who move slower and have difficulty moving to a safe space quickly, multi-problem families and children at-risk.
JDC’s emergency team is meeting round-the-clock to determine the most pressing areas in which JDC can step in – providing the kind of help we know how to give best.
Thanks to the generosity of our trusted partners at JFMD, as well as JFNA and JDC’s thousands of dedicated supporters, and already working to make a difference:
- Activating virtual services to help thousands of people living with disabilities stay connected and get the assistance they need during rocket attacks and the aftermath.
- Deploying newly developed technologies to monitor the physical and emotional wellbeing of Israel’s Holocaust survivors.
- Providing social and material support to the poorest and most at-risk children and families unable to work due to school closures and travel safety concerns.
JDC’s team are continuing to monitor the situation closely, as we all hope and pray for better times ahead.
JAFI – Emergency Update on Jewish Agency Programming May 16, 2021
The recent violent events that have erupted across the country have left us all surprised and stunned: clashes with Palestinians in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount; the deteriorating security tensions and the massive barrage of missiles from Gaza on southern and central Israel; and the outbreak of unprecedented violence, destruction, and lynching in mixed cities and Arab communities.
To say that the situation is particularly challenging is an understatement. We must all deal with the consequences of the current tensions. Many of us are protecting family, coworkers, or people under our charge while missiles fall on our heads night and day, forcing us to seek shelter. We have all witnessed the unbearable sights of rioting, beating, and arson by Arab and Jewish extremists in Lod, Ramla, Acre, Kfar Qassem, Bat Yam, Holon, and other places.
As an organization that has experienced hard times of war and destruction, as well as periods of prosperity and peace, it is our duty to rise up and make a clear statement: we will support and assist populations hit by missile fire as we did in the past, after the Second Lebanon War and after Operations Cast Lead and Protective Edge. Together with our partners, we will mobilize to heal and support the communities and populations affected by the fighting. Our Fund for Victims of Terror is already providing assistance to bereaved families. When the situation allows it, we will provide more extensive assistance to localities and communities that have suffered damage and casualties.
At the same time, we will remind ourselves and those around us that we will not be subdued by hatred. As an organization, we work hand in hand with all sectors of the Israeli population: Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze. We are all partners. We all stand together against the evil wind that is sweeping the country today. But when it subsides—as it must—we will be among the first to repair its damages. After all, lest we forget, we are brothers and sisters.
It is important to note that many of The Jewish Agency’s P2G partnerships are also active in the Arab and Druze sectors. In Central Galilee, Western Galilee, Yokneam-Megiddo, Beit She’an-Emek HaMa’ayanot, our partnerships include joint activities with Arab and Druze communities. In addition, some of our mechinot (pre-army academies) enroll members of diverse groups within Israeli society and engage in activities with them. Our Youth Futures national program serves dozens of Arab, Druze, and Bedouin families across the country and employs a number of staff from those communities. In more general terms, we draw encouragement from the large number of initiatives that our staff is organizing to promote and strengthen coexistence and reconciliation all over the land.
We must stay optimistic! We will make it through this difficult period and, as we have done in the past, help the entire Israeli society rise to the challenge and look with renewed hope to a common future: a future of solidarity between the Jewish people abroad and in Israel, and among all threads of the rich fabric that is Israeli society.
Update on our response:
As we have done in the past, JAFI concentrates crisis response in three sectors:
- Jewish Agency beneficiaries who depend on us 24/7 for their protection, safety, and security. This includes the 7,800 olim (immigrants) in our Absorption Centers, about 3,900 of whom are in southern Israel; about 7,000 elderly people in our Amigour subsidized housing facilities; thousands of at-risk youth and their families in our Youth Futures program; additional hundreds of youth at risk who live in our youth villages around the country; and hundreds of our employees and their families. All of this is in addition to thousands of participants in our educational initiatives, including our mechinot and Israel experience programs (mainly Masa).
- Assistance to the broader Israeli society- to those in special need during the crisis. This includes families who receive aid through the Fund for Victims of Terror, which provides immediate financial assistance to Israelis who have been impacted by violence; initiatives promoted by the National Emergency Authority and inter-ministerial bodies, such as days of respite and recreation for residents (especially children) from affected areas; motivated volunteers all over the country; small businesses in affected areas; and more.
- Mobilizing Global solidarity movements with communities and partners from the Jewish world. Through our global network of about 300 shlichim (Israel emissaries) around the world (with another 1,250 leaving to work in global summer camps despite the current situation) and our network of partnerships with communities and organizations (P2G), we work to prepare briefings and organize solidarity events. Of course, we are also constantly on the lookout for anti-Semitic and anti-Israel activities, including hate speech, demonstrations, and other activities that place our shlichim and our program participants in danger, so that we can take necessary action. We hold meetings of our ’Emergency organizational table’ at least once a day (sometimes more) to assess the impact of the crisis on each of the sectors above, identify needs, and provide solutions.
By virtue of its special status in Israel, The Jewish Agency is a partner in all the major national forums that monitor crisis situations, including the National Emergency Authority, the Home Front Command, and Melach (an inter-ministerial emergency response body). We work in close cooperation with these organizations and receive hourly updates. Below is a summary of our response for each of the three sectors discussed above. This is an evolving situation, of course, and we will provide additional updates every few days.