JDC Stands in Solidarity with French Jewry | February 2015 Report

Below is an excerpt from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s (JDC) February report, relief proposal, and update on the French Jewish community. Click here to read the full, comprehensive, and detailed report.  

FRENCH JEWRY'S EMERGING NEEDS

The French Jewish community is vibrant, self-sustaining and multi-faceted. Home to some 550,000 Jews, it is by far the largest Jewish community in Europe. Yet, screams of "death to the Jews" in the streets of Paris, and routine bullying, intimidation and violence have altered life for French Jewry. This new reality is compounded by the broader political and economic climate in France – a failing economy characterized by sky-high unemployment rates for young adults and stagnant wages, disenfranchised youth and struggling young families, and escalating Jihadist radicalism. Today, the French Jewish community is rallying its resources to address the community's emerging needs to:

·         Bolster security

·         Develop and offer widely available psychosocial relief

·         Put in place contingency plans and crisis networks

·         Assist vulnerable and needy members of the community

·         Pursue routine communal activities for the Jews who remain in France

·         Assist community members who choose to move to safer neighborhoods or to emigrate

The French Jewish community will not abandon its most vulnerable members, and is currently in the initial stages of devising an initiative called REBONDS, which translates to rebound in English. JDC is working with partner organizations in the U.S., France, and Israel to deliver immediate, short, and long-term relief to French Jews. 

Below is a relief timeline outlined by JDC.

Click here to read the full and informative report.