YOUR ROLE IN ISRAEL RELIEF AND RECOVERY EFFORTS

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 us, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland leapt into action, quickly creating our community’s Israel Emergency Campaign to support victims of terror, assist with evacuations, rebuild damaged infrastructure, provide temporary housing, and address the unprecedent levels of trauma caused by the horrific attacks.

To date, your Federation has raised and distributed more than $34 million and counting. The generosity of support from our community is astounding – Jewish Cleveland has raised the sixth most of any Federation in North America, more than many cities with much larger communities.

As the situation on the ground in Israel changes, we are working with our partners to understand their needs and respond accordingly, shifting our emergency response into longer-term recovery efforts.

Together, we are here for our Israeli family in their time of greatest need, doing everything we can to support them and offer comfort, solidarity, strength, security, and hope. Your generosity sends a message to Israelis – you are not alone, your global Jewish family is with you, Jewish Cleveland is right there by your side.

Discover how our community – and your generosity – makes a difference.

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

Our longstanding partnerships with The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) are instrumental in coordinating an effective emergency response as well as our ongoing relief efforts. They have received the largest allocations among more than 500 supported NGOs. Here are some highlights of organizations funded by Jewish Cleveland’s Israel Emergency Campaign.

THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL

The JAFI’s Fund for Victims of Terror provides immediate emergency grants, rehabilitation grants, intervention grants, and camp and respite grants to victims and their families. In its 21 years of providing assistance prior to October 7, the Fund for Victims of Terror has supported 9,000 families. Since October 7, the Fund has assisted more than 10,000 additional families with more than 85 million shekels (about $23.8 million) in support.

In addition, JAFI runs the Youth Futures mentorship program, coordinates a volunteer doctor program, directs an initiative to renovate shelters, and provides housing, food, activities, security, economic assistance, and more for new olim and elderly residents, including Holocaust survivors, in the conflict zone.

AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE

JDC is caring for those who have no one else to turn to – vulnerable seniors, people with disabilities, children and young adults at risk, families in financial distress, and the unemployed. More than 1 million Israelis are helped by JDC-developed programs each week.

Your support enables JDC to respond to the unique needs of these special populations as well as the communities along the northern and southern borders to restore personal security, ensure access to government benefits, strengthen local leadership and resources, and provide multifaceted care for youth. Along with spearheading a comprehensive initiative to improve the capacity of the Israeli mental health system, JDC is also providing training and counseling to frontline professionals to ensure they have the support they need to support Israel’s most vulnerable, with 64,000 trained so far.

THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT: Irene
Irene’s world was shattered when her partner, Netta, was killed during the October 7 attacks. But with our support, she’s finding the strength to rebuild her life. The Fund for Victims of Terror ensures survivors like Irene are never alone.

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On October 7, Hamas terrorists targeted farm equipment and infrastructure as a means of striking at the Israeli economy and the identity of the Western Negev, whose farms supply three-quarters of Israel’s vegetables. ReGrow Israel, an initiative of Volcani International Partnerships, is enabling farming communities to replace the destroyed or looted agricultural equipment in time for the planting season.

THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT: Nir
“We were able to move forward and start working with our own [farming] equipment. We’re back to relying on our strength, abilities, and knowledge. It feels great!”

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Magen David Adom (MDA) is Israel’s largest volunteer organization and provides emergency medical services across the country along with collecting blood donations for hospitals and the IDF. In 2024, MDA’s Operations Division initiated the Magen Project, which trained 15,000 civilians – including members of emergency response teams, municipal employees, inspectors, and others – to provide initial medical care in situations where communities are cut off due to natural disasters, wars, terrorist infiltrations, and similar events. Additionally, MDA has collaborated with the Israeli Midwives Association to assist women in labor and increased their National Milk Bank distribution by 20% to care for premature infants in neonatal units and dozens of babies who were orphaned, whose mothers were kidnapped or injured, or whose mothers were drafted into the IDF.

ISRAEL TRAUMA COALITION

The Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) is the cornerstone in the national treatment of trauma and emergency preparedness in Israel. ITC operates 12 resilience centers, mostly in the Gaza border area, which offer a unique model that provides a seamless response along the continuum between emergency preparedness, emergency, and recovery. ITC also works through its member organizations to provide additional mental health and psychosocial services, such as the emotional support hotlines opened by Eran and Natal.

THE ISRAEL MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION

Many Israeli women are facing pregnancy alone as their partners and husbands have been killed or incapacitated. The Israel Midwives Association is supporting these women through labor and delivery, and in the fragile six weeks that follow. Recently, a second new program was created to assist pregnant women in Israel’s north. Hundreds of pregnant women are receiving support from a midwife near their homes, including an emergency childbirth briefing session, and an individualized plan in case reaching a medical center is not possible due to the changing security situation.

So far, 378 pregnant women have been assisted, and 108 babies have been delivered.

“The delivery room has been a haven of sanity during the war...the work has been saving us and it helps us to help others,” Sari, midwife.

THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT: Noy
Noy was navigating pregnancy and motherhood alone while her husband, Ido, heals from a combat injury. Thanks to donor support, compassionate midwives were there when she needed them most.

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JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA (JFNA) TOTAL RAISED*

$862,446,587

The funds raised by Jewish Cleveland were immediately sent for expert allocation by JFNA’s Israel Emergency Response Committee, which meets regularly to discuss ongoing needs, review allocation proposals, and make allocation decisions across four priority focus areas.

The Committee is co-chaired by Stephen Hoffman, chairman of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, president emeritus of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, and former president and CEO of United Jewish Communities (now Jewish Federations of North America).

SPECIAL INITIATIVES

In addition to the breadth of support for emergency relief and recovery efforts that Jewish Cleveland has been providing through JFNA and our partners in Israel, we have also started several special initiatives that focus on specific needs to develop stronger relationships with our partnership communities and deepen our impact.

JEWISH CLEVELAND’S PARTNERSHIP WITH KIBBUTZ KISSUFIM

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.

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.

The Kissufim community was initially evacuated to a hotel complex at the Dead Sea, and in August 2024, they began moving into temporary residences to create a Kissufim neighborhood in Omer, outside of Beersheba. 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. The Kissufim community is working to understand their needs and we are determining the unique role the Federation can play without duplicating efforts.

THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT: Rebuilding Kibbutz Kissufim
Well over 100 Clevelanders have traveled to Kibbutz Kissufim to bear witness and hear stories of resilience and survival. In addition, many of these Clevelanders volunteered by helping pick avocados, clean the debris around the kibbutz, and arrange and clean shared spaces.

In April 2024, Cleveland and Israeli volunteers from our sister community of Beit Shean/Valley of Springs spent two days sharing stories and hopes while gardening and cleaning the community.

“No matter what kind of Jew you are or where you are from, if you are from Kissufim or if you are from Valley of Springs or if you are from Cleveland, we are here together. And it makes me so excited to be here with the Cleveland community.”
- Lital Gabai Golan, Beit Shean Volunteer

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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, 16 teens from Kibbutz Kissufim traveled to the United States and participated in a three-week summer camp experience – 10 teens were at Camp Wise and 6 at a camp in New York. This collaboration between the Federation, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Camp Wise as well as the critical professional staff support the teens received – including leadershipfrom Partnership2Gether, counselors, and a mental health professional – provided each teen the opportunity to reinforce their resilience, reestablish their social connections, and regain confidence and self-esteem.

Camp Wise campers had the opportunity to meet and interact with a larger than usual cohort from Israel, creating a richer camp experience. Through shared activities, language practice, and cultural immersion, both groups deepened their Jewish identities, learned from each other, and built bridges that transcended geographical boundaries. This partnership not only enriched the camp experience for campers and staff, but also promoted a global Jewish identity, made what is happening in Israel so much more personal and relevant, and built empathy and understanding among participants. This experience – or mifgash (encounter) – between Israeli and American peers was especially worthwhile at this unprecedented time.

Due to this success, we are exploring the possibility of repeating a similar experience for next summer. We are in initial conversations with Camp Wise, as well as the parents and families of teenagers at Kibbutz Kissufim. Overall, it is important to us that they will have the opportunity for a summer of respite to help them maintain their strength and resilience during this time of change. We anticipate bringing 10–15 teens from Kissufim to Camp Wise for this experience in summer 2025.

THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT: Bringing Kids from Kibbutz Kissufim to the Home of Happiness
“They’re faced with a difficult reality, and they don’t know everything, but you are still able to feel, be happy, and stay here at camp.”
- Ofir Fayans, counselor, Kibbutz Kissufim

“These kids felt the love of the community, and I think that they understand how much, how many people care about them and want them to be better. And I think that they will come back with the understanding that they have a bigger family that cares about them and that they are not alone.”
- Dorit Natan Lavy, director, Partnership2Gether, Beit Shean-Cleveland Partnership

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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. The transition back to school has been harder than they anticipated for the children and teens, mainly since they have been out of a structured education system for close to a year. 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.

In September 2024, Youth Futures was recognized by the President of Israel as “Israel’s National Initiative for the Recovery and Resilience of Children.” During the ceremony, the Cleveland community was thanked for helping to establish Youth Futures and support its growth.

Other meaningful recent partnership activities include Chanukah celebrations for teens from Kibbutz Kissufim who enjoyed a fun-filled night out with candle-lighting followed by laser tag, bowling, and a movie with popcorn. The teens and counselors from Kissufim were so grateful for the much-needed respite from the day-to-day stresses of rebuilding their lives.

Also, Youth Futures in Beit Shean hosted a special Chanukah volunteer event where mentors and kids gathered to prepare tokens of encouragement, hope, and friendship for the children of Kibbutz Kissufim. This was the first time that youth from Beit Shean have taken part in connecting with Kibbutz Kissufim. Their generous and creative spirit helped spread warmth, light, and joy to the children there. We are inspired by the connection that has formed between two of our partnership communities and are looking forward to more collaboration in the future.

SUPPORTING DISPLACED FAMILIES

The Federation designated a portion of emergency funds to develop a program in partnership with Beit Shean/Valley of Springs to support Israelis in the north and south who were internally displaced due to the war. This unique program provided a variety of services, including therapy, support groups, workshops, and respite.

Through our collaborative efforts, 440 families received emotional support, parenting guidance that helped them manage their complicated reality, and opportunities to cope with the crises they were experiencing. Women’s and men’s groups were formed, which fostered a sense of belonging, helping the evacuees not feel alone, and provided space and opportunities for emotional release and enjoyment.

SECURING OUR PARTNER COMMUNITIES IN ISRAEL

Our partners in Beit Shean and the Valley of Springs recently alerted us to critical security needs, and with the support of generous donors in Jewish Cleveland, we are enabling them to safeguard their communities.

As these communities have come under direct attack, there has not been government funding available for needed renovations or additions to infrastructure, leaving citizens there to figure this out on their own. These communities do not have the capacity to fund this kind of infrastructure. Our partners from Beit Shean and the Valley of Springs are deeply grateful for our assistance in helping them provide physical and psychological safety at a time when both are in short supply, enabling vital community services to continue, and alleviating the stress and educational harm caused by canceled classes due to lack of functioning shelters.

In Beit Shean, numerous shelters have fallen into disrepair to the point of many becoming unsafe and unfit for purpose. There is an acute need to equip all shelters with necessary supplies; renovate 17 shelters, including adding air conditioning; and add air-conditioning units to 12 shelters that were recently renovated.

In the Valley of Springs, funds are helping to harden the Valley’s municipal headquarters, which previously had no protections; add a safe room to the Valley’s enrichment center, which houses all the arts programming and after-school activities for the community’s children; install a generator to enable basic services to continue; and build 17 shelters for three elementary schools to protect children who cannot effectively study from home during alerts. Without these shelters, children cannot go to school during any alert or security crisis.

THE IMMEASURABLE IMPACT OF YOUR SUPPORT

It is still October 7 for Israelis. They have shared story upon story of losing loved ones, the trauma everyone is experiencing, the desperation for the hostages to be released, the concern for all those fighting, the year-long evacuation from homes, the unbearable weight of uncertainty, and the longing for a sense of normalcy.

But more importantly, despite it all, they continue to share their hopes for a future filled with peace and prosperity. They are deeply grateful for the support Jewish Cleveland has provided to our partners in Israel through emergency grants to victims of trauma, mental health support for youth and families through Youth Futures, and all the ways in which we are helping Kibbutz Kissufim move forward. They see us, they see you, standing by their side, as we join hands and march together through the wilderness to the promise of a stronger and brighter shared future.

We are committed to supporting Israel’s long-term recovery efforts. As long as there is a need, we will do whatever we can to help meet it – and we hope you will consider joining us with a gift today.