“All I am asking is that you feel Jewish. Because if you feel Jewish, you will do what one Jew does for a needy Jew: you will help.” — Golda Meir
When I began my role at the Jewish Communal Fund 18 months ago, I hung this quote above my desk. Our community of givers is always on the frontlines of philanthropy and chesed, and when there is a crisis in the Jewish community you respond.
Collectively since October 7, you have sent more than 4,000 grants representing over $40M to support dozens of worthy organizations helping Israel. Today, I want to give an update on how the organizations that have received the greatest number of grants from JCF Fundholders are deploying your dollars to help in Israel:
UJA-Federation Israel Emergency Response
- $35.6M has been allocated to aid residents in northern and southern Israel and provide trauma and financial support to all victims of terror and their families. Additional allocations were made to supply and equip hospitals, mobilize Israeli volunteers, fund charter flights to bring Israelis home, support emergency operations and recovery efforts, support Arab citizens and Bedouins, and provide support for Holocaust survivors.
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
- FIDF has deployed over $35M to address the humanitarian needs of soldiers. The allocations have gone to needs as varied as blood plasma for soldiers to financial support to families of fallen soldiers. The largest allocations thus far have gone to emergency medical equipment and operational ambulances.
Magen David Adom
- MDA is operating 24 hours a day responding across the country. Their blood services division is supplying 100% of the blood needed for the IDF. Additionally, their milk bank is increasing its supply of tested and processed breast milk for babies whose mothers have been killed, injured, kidnapped or called to IDF reserve duty.
United Hatzalah
- United Hatzalah has spent over $20 million on medical supplies, over $10 million on vehicles, and they continue to meet the growing needs every day.
Thank you for supporting these organizations and the many others that are doing meaningful work in Israel. Jewish Funders Network has also compiled a list of organizations that you may find helpful.
Shortly, you will receive an invitation for JCF’s Smart Giving Webinar on Wednesday, November 29, at noon for an update on relief effort in Israel and responses to the growing antisemitism in the US.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Rachel