Our Impact in Israel – August 2024

Personal Stories

Overall Federation Movement Response

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County is one of 146 Federations who have contributed to an unprecedented North American relief effort. Together, Federations have collectively contributed more than $800 million to this effort, serving pillar of unwavering support since October 7 and the ensuing war. Below are highlights of what this work has accomplished as of August 2024:

36,910 evacuees provided with shelter
285,486 Israelis received essential food assistance
2 million hot meals have been served
164,736 Israelis received packages with basic needs – food, clothing and more
44 hospitals and rehabilitation centers received medical equipment and supplies
406,816 Israelis received mental health support
61,715 Israelis helped by economic relief and recovery programs
481 business have received loans

Jewish Palm Beach’s Impact in Israel

Federation is being strategic with allocations from the Israel Terror Relief Fund (ITRF) as the needs in our Partnership region continue to grow as a result of the potential escalation in the north. Below is a comprehensive list of all the allocations and support as of August 2024.

The following identifies the breakdown of where Federation’s initial ITRF allocation to Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) collective effort went to support:

Lifeline Services (42.5%) – Food, clothing, financial assistance, and medicines as well as spiritual care
Economic Relief and Recovery (22.4%) – Supports families who are grappling with income loss, as reserve soldiers answer the call to duty, and economic relief efforts for frontline communities small and medium-size businesses
Mental Health and Trauma Relief (18.2%) – Addresses the physical, psychological, and emotional wellbeing of affected Israelis. This includes allocations made to medical facilities and hospitals.
Community Resilience and Rebuilding (16.9%) – Helps to enable people to return to their homes and rebuild their communities and will become a major focus of JFNA’s efforts in the coming months
Other (less than 1%) – Support for communities under fire and for new olim (immigrants) living in absorption centers through evacuations, temporary housing, children’s activities and increased security.

Support for our Partnership Region of TZAHAR

Comprised of the cities Tzfat, Hatzor HaGlilit and Rosh Pina, Israel’s TZAHAR region and Jewish Palm Beach have been connected through a partnership for more than three decades. In addition to our local community’s support of relief efforts across Israel, we are providing specialized support to our extended family, which is located just miles from the Lebanese border and has been under consistent rocketfire:

New bomb shelters in Tzfat and Hatzor HaGlilit
Water trolleys to combat fires caused by missile attacks in Tzfat
Emergency equipment for more than 160 first responders throughout the region
Security cameras to provide extra layers of protection in Tzfat
Respite programs for evacuated families and Shabbat meals for soldiers serving in the region
Games and educational materials for children while schools or closed or extended times are needed in bomb shelters

Additionally, we have helped to distribute funding from the entire Federation system of TZAHAR to support the greatest area of needs in TZAHAR and launch new projects in our region:

Donor Directed Gifts

Federation offers donors the opportunity to targeted their gifts through us to programs and organizations aligned with our mission. To date, community members have contributed $3.4 million in targeted giving through our Israel relief efforts. Below is a list of all the organizations supported by these donations.

Afikim Family Enrichment Centers
Afikim, is a network of Family Enrichment Centers in Israel, that is dedicated to helping children and parents of low-income families break out of the bonds of poverty by giving them the tools they need to become financially independent, well-adjusted, and productive individuals.

Friends of the IDF (FIDF)
Friends of the IDF is the sole organization authorized to collect charitable donations on behalf of the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces across the United States of America. FIDF has provided the IDF with medical equipment and supplies, search and rescue equipment, emergency lone solider support, emergency well-being support, and wounded solider and bereaved family support.

Fund for Victims of Terror – The Jewish Agency
The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror has been providing immediate financial assistance to victims and their families, arriving with checks personally delivered within 48 hours of an attack and following up with critically needed long term rehabilitative support.

JDC
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. Support enables JDC to respond to the unique needs of these special populations as well as the needs of the southern communities they directly work with. JDC is also providing training and counseling to frontline professionals to ensure they have the support they need to continue their important work.

Kfar Aza
Kibbutz in Southern Israel that was devastated by Hamas terrorist on Oct. 7, 2023

Kfar Hanassi
Kfar Hanassi is a kibbutz in northern Israel that has been affected by rocket attacks from Lebanon.

Soroka Medical Center
Soroka Medical Center is the only major medical center in Israel’s south and stands at the forefront of the battle to save the lives of Israel’s wounded. After the attacks on Oct. 7^th, Soroka’s Francis and Nathan Kirsh Trauma Center and Emergency Department have tirelessly treated over 1,400 wounded patients, with a significant number in critical condition (800 patients within the first 24 hours).

Tzfat Kabbalah Center (Rabbi Eyal Riess)
Relief projects including weekly programs for evacuated families and Shabbat meals for soldiers.

United Hatzalah
United Hatzalah is a community-based volunteer emergency medical service (EMS) operating across Israel. It has mobilized all 7,000 of its volunteers and dispatched over 120 rescue vehicles to Israel’s southern region. With this financial support, United Hatzalah will be able to purchase critical emergency medical supplies to respond to ongoing attacks.