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Dear Colleagues, As of right now, Israel has witnessed more than 24 hours of relative calm. The result is a growing sense of cautious relief throughout the country. While the IDF remains positioned along the Gaza border, officials confirm that Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure has been severely crippled, and that immediate threats posed by terrorist tunnels (which resulted in 11 IDF fatalities) have been removed. With this long-awaited moment of respite, I am reminded that after an anxiety-ridden four weeks, there is still more work to be done. Like all Israelis, our partner agencies remain cautiously optimistic and report that they are prepared for any and all developments. Guided by decades of experience servicing Israel’s most vulnerable populations, the Jewish Agency for Israel, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Israel Trauma Center and others are well-equipped to provide services to Israelis at this difficult time. Over the past four weeks, tens of thousands of Israelis have found relief through these agencies, in addition to the millions who have benefitted from their work during times of relative peace. Below are two #LivingIt stories that depict the trauma of life under fire. In the coming weeks, we will shift our emergency response effort and begin to focus on rehabilitation. Like all of you, I pray for lasting peace, in hopes that future generations will not have to repeat the sacrifices made by the parents of Israeli soldiers who fought to protect the Jewish State. Regards, Jerry Silverman President and CEO The Jewish Federations of North America #LivingIt As Sirens Sound, a New Oleh Copes with Life Under Fire Just a few hours after one Turkish oleh’s arrival in Israel, sirens began sounding. As a result, the first Hebrew words he learned were “siren” and “bomb shelter.” “The streets were crowded and we followed everyone into the buildings until we heard three [explosions] from Iron Dome. I have two children: a boy, 9 and a daughter of 5. We tried to sleep but it was very difficult thinking of what I would do. My daughter came to me asking of the sounds outside were sirens. The truth is that our life was good in our old country, but the reason that I made aliyah is that the number of Jews is going down dramatically, and we didn’t want to be the last ones. But I think about arriving here during the moment of the war, with all the sirens and the bombs, and ask myself if I made the right decision for my children, and I start to cry.” A Family Home Receives Crucial Reinforcement Three siblings with disabilities – Hefzi and her two brothers – live in subsidized housing in Be’er Sheva that is extremely vulnerable to rocket attacks and not within reach of a public bomb shelter. When sirens blare, the family remains together in their living room, unprotected. The roof, made from asbestos, is in poor condition and is very weak: shrapnel from an incoming rocket nearby could cause serious damage to the home. The siblings turned to the Center for Independent Living (CIL) for help. The emergency coordinator, together with local volunteers, assessed the family’s situation and the risks they were facing. And the CIL helped Hefzi and her brothers make adjustments to their home and their routine to minimize the danger and help ensure their continued safety and independence. |
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Day 30: Operation Protective Edge Update
Today is Tisha B’Av - by Jane Fantel in Israel
By Jane Fantel - Director of Israel ConnectionsTisha B’av, the ninth day (Tisha) of the month of Av commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. It is known as one of the saddest days in Jewish history. Today many observant Jews fast as they mourn the temples’ destruction.
At 8am this morning, a 72 hour truce between Israel and Hamas began but not before Hamas fired 13 rocket attacks within a 20 minute time span to Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malakhi, Rehovot, Sdot Negev, Sha’ar HaNegev, Ashdod, Gedera, Shafir, Beer Tuviya, and Merhavim. It was Hamas’s last attempt at sticking it to Israel before it would have to adhere to a humanitarian truce. So far, it’s been quiet. Let’s hope it stays that way.
The IDF is pulling its brave soldiers out of Gaza as it feels it’s mission, for the most part, is complete. It has destroyed over 30 tunnels (although we don’t know for sure how many remain), knocked out many rocket launching sites, and through the Iron Dome, successfully intercepted over 500 rockets aimed at Israel’s cities.
And we mourn…
We mourn the destruction of homes in Israel and in Gaza.
We mourn the destruction of schools and mosques in Gaza.
We mourn the loss of businesses in Israel and in Gaza.
But most important, we mourn the loss of life in Israel and in Gaza.
For many of the civilians in Gaza, they were caught in the web of a very sick and dangerous spider. Sadly, some were religious extremists who did not value their lives or the lives of their children. I mourn for them anyway. Many however, were people who just wanted a good life for themselves and their families and they were used as pawns, as human shields. Far, far too many lives cut short because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I mourn for everyone of them.
For the Israeli civilians who also were killed as a result of this war, your lives shouldn’t have ended this way. You left spouses, parents, and children behind who will never understand why? I mourn for you.
And for the very, very brave IDF soldiers who died defending their country, the Lone Soldiers from other parts of the world who proudly served in the Israel Defense Forces and died protecting us from this monster, Hamas, you will never know how much we honor your lives and the sacrifices you made on our behalf. May your memories be a blessing as we mourn.
There are no easy answers now as we begin to figure out an acceptable path forward. Some people are optimistic that Israel and the Palestinian Authority can sit down again and hammer out a deal for true, long-lasting peace and two states for two peoples. Others, are less optimistic. I’m not sure which camp I fall into. I do know that I still have hope, and that’s a start.
The people of Gaza and the people of Israel are going to need a lot of emotional and financial support in the coming days, weeks, months and even years as a result of this war. I hope they will get everything they need. I pray that the people of Gaza will demand and hold their leaders accountable when this support is received, and that it is directed to rebuilding lives, homes, schools, hospitals, mosques and businesses.
There are many, many organizations throughout Europe and North America that are undertaking emergency campaigns for Israel. One such emergency campaign is from the Jewish Federations of North America (the umbrella organization for all Jewish Federations in North America). Please consider contacting your local Jewish Federation and ask how you can help by volunteering your time and with your financial support. My city, San Diego, California has launched the “Reach Out for Israel” Emergency Campaign. A good deal of the monies raised will go directly to our partnership in the south of Israel, Sha’ar HaNegev. If you are reading this and you are from San Diego, please don’t wait until someone contacts you, contact Federation today. It’s easy to make a donation by going to the Federation website: http://www.jewishinsandiego.org. Erna and Andrew Viterbi have graciously agreed to a one million dollar match up to $50,000 per gift, with all of it going to humanitarian aid and no administrative expenses tagged on. I urge you to please consider being part of this humanitarian effort.
As each of us consider what Tisha B’Av means to our lives, for me, mourning the destruction is only part of it.
Rebuilding is one of the paths forward to peace.
Friday, August 1, 2014
We Are All Responsible - One for the Other
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Dear Community,
Helping Children Cope with Trauma
Federation-funded efforts at the JDC revived a therapeutic project to help children cope with the trauma of war.
Children are given a stuffed dog called a Hibuki (“Huggy”), which has extra-long arms that wrap around the child, giving them a hug. When a child is given a stuffed animal to actively care for, the child transfers his or her emotions onto the stuffed animal. By taking care of Hibuki, the child is essentially treating his or her own trauma, and addressing his or her own fears and worries.
“Hibuki is sad because missiles were fired on his doghouse,” one child said. “He is afraid of war,” and “he is afraid to die” were common concerns raised by the children.
Some 330 children with post-traumatic stress were treated using this method in communities neighboring Gaza, where the violence has been most intense. More than 30 professional counselors received training in an effort to expand the scope of the program to reach thousands of children in need. In addition, parents were given tutorials on how to help their children alleviate their fears through the use of the stuffed animal.
It is with your generosity that this amazing work is possible. Make a donation today to support humanitarian aid in Israel. Thank you for all that you do.
San Diego Hosts Young Jewish Leaders From Around the World
On Sunday, July 27, the American Joint Jewish Distribution Committee (JDC) held a symposium with 13 organizations at the beautiful Leichtag Ranch in Encinitas. The symposium started with an update from Gideon Herscher, JDC’s Director of Development and International Partnerships, who had just flown in from Israel. Gideon lives in Tel Aviv and spoke of personal experiences that were both heartbreaking and inspiring. He spoke of his sincere belief in global Jewish responsibility and that in times of crisis we need to reach out and help those who need it, and protect the vulnerable in our communities. As he spoke thunder boomed outside and he commented that the sound is reminiscent of what they hear daily in Israel at the moment.
Gideon restated that his primary concern is the vulnerable, the elderly, and children of Israel - how are they dealing with the trauma and fear that plagues them? He shared children’s drawings of rockets falling on their homes and their interpretations of fear. He then spoke of JDC’s work to provide days of respite and entertainment for thousands of children and how JDC helps them to express themselves through trauma counseling and the aid of hibukis (huggie dolls). Hibukis are dogs with long arms that wrap around a child’s neck making them feel like they are being comforted and hugged. He explained that when children are asked how they are doing, they often shrug and say they are fine but sometimes they express their deeper emotions more openly through their toys.
Gideon reported that JDC is looking out for all Israelis no matter what their race or religion, including 250 000 Bedouins who have no shelter from rocket fire. Gideon spoke of the resilience of the Israeli people and the signs of this resilience everywhere, in the acts of kindness and empathy, in the courage and optimism of children, and in that sense of responsibility we have for one another that is very apparent in the Jewish homeland - concluding these uplifting stories should be shared and serve as a light in dark times.
The symposium then switched gears to discuss the next generation of Jewish leaders and asked if the next generation is going to be actively engaged and connected in Judaism or a “generation lost”. Michael Sonduck, Federation President and CEO, testifed that young adults of today are still very much interested in connecting to their Jewish roots and the amazing work being implemented globally to engage Jewish young adults. He told the audience about Federation’s NextGen Initiative which actively engages young adults and gives them the chance to collaborate and be leaders in their community through unique programming. More than 25 NextGen professionals convened last Friday night for learning and collaboration, and he reported that the energy in the room was palpable.
The next panel included young adults from various organizations in San Diego and overseas who are working on becoming more connected to their Jewish roots and to their communities. They all agreed that the key to engaging young adults of today is to be flexible with programming and to empower participants while being open to feedback on the kind of experiences that are meaningful to them.
One of the speakers, Aliona, flew in from Kiev to share her experiences and inspired the room when she spoke of her grass-roots volunteering organization that works to connect the youth to the elderly in ways that are meaningful for both. Her passion and creativity has engaged many young people through putting the initiative in their hands, allowing volunteers to come up with ideas of their own that her organization would then support.
Both Aliona and another speaker, Andras, from Hungary, discovered their Judaism in their young adult years and both are incredibly passionate and engaged. Aliona spoke to JDC’s involvement in the Ukraine right when things began to get desperate and delivery of aid to many elderly and vulnerable citizens
Young adults today are inspired by the fact that they can do so much more together to make the world a better place.
Martin Storrow, Director of Leadership Development at Moishe House, spoke of the wonderful Moishe House Learning Retreats designed to connect Jewish young adults to their roots and each other and to encourage discovery and discussion around topics and traditions that are interesting in order to provide inspiration on how to be innovative within our communities going forward. He said “Any time we can reach out to those who are afflicted, we are creating our Jewish future. Every person is woven into this web and we are responsible for one another. Let’s continue to build a world of passion, progress, and peace”.
Day 25: Israel Update
August 1, 2014 |
| Dear Colleagues, For 25 days, I have been sending you updates on Operation Protective Edge and how JFNA’s coalition partners are alleviating the impact of Hamas’ rockets on tens of thousands of Israeli civilians. I am saddened to report that this morning, 90 minutes after a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire began, Hamas terrorists attacked an IDF unit decommissioning a tunnel, killing two soldiers and reportedly kidnapping Second Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, 23. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest calls the reported kidnapping a “barbaric violation of the ceasefire agreement” negotiated by the United States and United Nations. Our prayers go out to his family, and all of Israel. While our thoughts remain with our Israeli brothers and sisters, we want to acknowledge important developments in the Federation system. Below please find recent legislative news from JFNA’s Washington office. May we continue to pray for peace, and for the safe return of Hadar Golin. Shabbat Shalom, Jerry Silverman President and CEO The Jewish Federations of North America Jewish Institutions Awarded $12 Million in Vital Nonprofit Security Grants Last week, the Department of Homeland Security awarded approximately $12 million in federal funding to bolster Jewish communal security. Jewish Federations have led the effort to secure the Nonprofit Security Grant Program for years, which helps institutions vulnerable to terrorism strengthen their security. Federations Applaud Passage of Autism CARES Act The House and the Senate recently approved the Autism CARES Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will reauthorize funding at the National Institutes of Health for research relating to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Jewish Federations have been advocating for reauthorization of the law as well as improvements to it. House Ways and Means Committee Unanimously Approves ABLE Act The ABLE Act, which would help people with disabilities and their families plan and save for their future needs, cleared the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. Jewish Federations, which have supported the bill for years, view the vote as a huge step forward and will continue to advocate for its passage. Federations Support Ratification of Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Jewish Federations are advocating for the Senate to ratify CRPD, an international treaty inspired by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 22nd. CRPD will help reaffirm American leadership on global disability rights by allowing U.S. advocates to help other nations create policies that embrace the rights and dignity of people with disabilities, as well as ensure improved accessibility for Americans with disabilities traveling abroad. Jewish Federations Applaud Move to Make IRA Charitable Rollover Permanent The House of Representatives voted on July 17th to approve legislation that would create certainty for taxpayers and charitable organizations that depend on tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts to bolster their fundraising activities. Jewish Federations hailed the bill as a much needed legislative action that will provide strong financial support for the work done by charities across the nation. Senate Votes to Extend Post-9/11 Terrorism Insurance Program Jewish Federations applaud the Senate’s overwhelming approval of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), which requires insurers to offer terrorism risk coverage and provides a federal insurance backstop for heavy losses. TRIA now needs to be approved by the House. |
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