Jewish Agency for Israel
The global coronavirus crisis has led to a 116 percent increase in aliyah applications from Latin America since 2019, with 140 Brazilian Jews having arrived in the country since March.
According to the Jewish Agency, its joint emergency fund has helped Jewish institutions bridge immediate gaps in cash flow, enabling them to continue to function, provide services for their community members and avoid complete collapse.
The Jewish Agency chairman tells Diaspora leaders that his organization provided some $10 million in interest-free loans to communities hit hard by COVID-19 lockdowns.
Many of the arrivals come from regions of the former Soviet Union where local economies are struggling and COVID-19 has been peaking.
Applications for aliyah in the spring of the coronavirus are breaking records, as Jews in the Diaspora see Israel as a safe haven.
“They’ve made it home, and I’m extremely moved,” said newly minted Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano-Shata.
The new arrivals, from a year-old baby to a 66-year-old, hail from New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida and Illinois.
Leah Hason’s heartbreaking story will be broadcast in eight languages as part of the Jewish Agency’s Shlichut Institute program, together with the “Zikaron BaSalon” (“Memories in the Living Room”) Project.
Jewish Agency announces emergency fund for nonprofits hit hard by coronavirus
Emergency Fund for Nonprofits program includes provisions for immediate loans at a 3 percent interest rate, as well as loans of up to $112,000 for up to 60 months, with a six-month grace period, both with no requirement for guarantors.
Former Soviet prisoner Natan Sharansky offers five tips for coping under quarantine
Tip No. 4: “Don’t give up on your hobbies.”
“We are hearing from many homebound seniors that they’re more afraid of loneliness than the virus,” said Yossi Heyman, executive director of JDC-Eshel.
A musical ambassador, he represents a hopeful world in which artistic collaborations break down barriers between people of different backgrounds and beliefs.
