05/09/2025
Cleveland Stands with Israel and Kibbutz Kissufim
Barry Feldman enjoying a day at Camp Wise with teens from Kibbutz Kissufim.
Every day since October 7, 2023, our Jewish Cleveland community has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the people of Israel by delivering immediate help and hope for the future.
As news of the terrorist attacks that day reached our community, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland leapt into action, quickly creating our community’s Israel Emergency Campaign to support Israel in this time of crisis. Our Endowment Fund Committee and Board of Trustees quickly allocated funds from the unrestricted endowment to help support victims of terror, assist with evacuations, rebuild damaged infrastructure, provide temporary housing, and address the unprecedented levels of trauma caused by these horrific attacks. Together, our community has raised and distributed more than $33 million – and counting.
In January 2024, the Federation expanded upon our community’s Israel emergency response efforts by establishing a new partnership with Kibbutz Kissufim, one of the 22 communities in the Gaza Envelope that was attacked on October 7. The partnership was facilitated by the Jewish Agency for Israel’s expansion of its Partnership Communities2Gether program to connect Diaspora Jewish communities with the most devastated Israeli communities in the south.
Kibbutz Kissufim was established in 1951 by members of youth movements from the United States and South America. Situated in thenorthwestern Negev desert in southern Israel, the kibbutz is located about 1.5 miles from the Gaza border. The main income for the kibbutz is derived from agriculture, including dairy and poultry farming, citrus groves, and an avocado orchard.
As a multigenerational community, Kissufim is guided by the values of cooperation, equality, and democracy. Many members were “peaceniks” who believed in a shared society and helped their Gazan neighbors. Since then, the Kissufim community was evacuated to a hotel complex at the Dead Sea and in August 2024, they began moving into temporary residences in Omer, outside of Beersheba to create a Kissufim neighborhood. After living in a hotel for 11 months and all the tension that has caused, moving to temporary housing is a huge step in the community’s recovery.
Lee Kohrman and Ella Caspi speaking with teens from Kibbutz Kissufim
The Kissufim community is working to understand their needs and together the Jewish Federation and the Kissufim community are determining the unique role the Federation can play without duplicating efforts.
For example, the residents of Kibbutz Kissufim expressed interest in having their teens travel to a Jewish summer camp abroad for respite, rehabilitation, and Jewish connection. Teens wanted the chance to play outside, meet other teens, and have a carefree summer. Thanks to generous Cleveland donors, sixteen teens from Kibbutz Kissufim traveled to the United States and participated in a summer camp experience – ten teens were at Camp Wise and six at a camp in New York. This experience provided each teen the opportunity to reinforce their resilience, reestablish their social connections, and regain confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, as the Kissufim community is settling in Omer, they have asked for help integrating the children from the kibbutz into their new school system and supporting their recovery from the trauma of October 7. Based on these needs, we have enlisted our long-time partner Youth Futures, a national organization that offers support, guidance, and targeted intervention to disadvantaged Israeli families through the activities of trained, professional mentors. Through Youth Futures we aim to bring three full-time mentors to help all the children from the kibbutz process their trauma, be a source of support and advice to parents, and guide them in accessing other community resources to help their family.
Jared Miller, chair of the Kibbutz Kissufim partnership Subcommittee of the Overseas Connections Committee (OCC) shared, “It has been a privilege to connect and develop strong relationships with the people of Kissufim, and our hearts and minds are with them. We know that it will take time to rebuild their community, but we have been helpful with their emotional well-being, local leadership, providing professionals for informal education and social frameworks for their youth. Cleveland intends to be there for the long haul.”
Drawing upon the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s experience in our sister community of Beit Shean/Valley of Springs for 30 years, this new partnership will bring both Cleveland and Kibbutz Kissufim together to work towards a future of healing and rebuilding.
