In the wake of the most recent round of violence in Israel, Jewish Federations of North America remain committed to our decades-long efforts to support victims of terror in Israel.
Federations and our partners provided support to twenty victims of terror and families of terror victims who were killed during the recent military operation, Shield and Arrow, that saw more than 1,200 rockets launched at Israel from Gaza during a period of five days.
The funds were directed through The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Victims of Terror Fund that provides urgent financial assistance to terror victims and ongoing care to help individuals and their families during the difficult recovery process. This financial support is crucial, as it is delivered immediately in the wake of tragedy, while government assistance is still being processed.
The Fund, which operates thanks to Jewish Federation philanthropy and the support of other generous partners, grants supplementary aid to families affected by rocket fire, assists with rehabilitation needs, and addresses the needs of children and families dealing with post-traumatic stress. The Fund was established 20 years ago and to date has supported 9,000 families affected by terror incidents and rocket fire, with grants totaling $20 million.
The latest allocation of financial assistance is providing support to ten families in Rehovot, Sderot, Ashkelon and Sedot Negev whose homes were directly hit by rocket fire, to eight hospitalized individuals who were injured by shrapnel and to two bereaved families, including the family of a Gazan farmer who was working in Israel with a government permit.
Since the beginning of this year, the Fund has awarded grants to the residents of the Gaza border and victims of terror attacks totaling $220,000, and has also run special camps for approximately 350 children and teenagers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
To read about Federation investment in Israel since 1948, click here.