As millions of Israelis prepare to observe Passover under fire, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is deploying desperately needed Wi-Fi and resilience kits to hundreds of bomb shelters across Israel’s battered north, which has been devastated by round-the-clock bombardment. This area of the country is home to some of Israel’s most vulnerable populations, both Jews and Arabs, who have recently returned home after two years of evacuation.
For residents who do not have access to bomb shelters, JDC has been increasing humanitarian services ahead of the holiday and since the current conflict began.
This initiative builds on JDC’s ongoing emergency response activities in Israel, which have recently expanded to the cities of Zarzir, Arad and Dimona in the last week, and Beit Shemesh and Beersheva since the start of the war.
Support includes humanitarian supplies, social services and housing aid; community caseworkers and mental- health specialists helping the hardest-hit; emergency equipment and training for first responders; and widely accessible mental-health treatment and digital resources. Since Oct. 7, 2023, JDC has aided more than 1.3 million Israelis, including hundreds of thousands made newly vulnerable by the ongoing conflict.
“At this moment of great hardship for Israelis and Jewish communities around the world, Passover’s message of deliverance carries special meaning. For more than a century, JDC has ensured Jews can mark Passover in times of crisis. As we gather for the seder, we’re not just retelling the story of our journey from slavery to freedom, but joining together with our Jewish family around the globe in an act of unity and hope for better days,” said JDC CEO Ariel Zwang.
Constant attacks force residents of Israel’s north to spend hours each day in shelters. JDC and MATAN: Investing in the Community will deploy Wi-Fi routers and a year of service to more than 300 shelters in hard-hit locations throughout northern Israel, hoping to expand to nearly 200 more shelters in the coming weeks.
Reliable connectivity enables real‑time security information, the ability to reach emergency services, contact with loved ones and access to calming entertainment. This is particularly beneficial for older adults and people with disabilities, who require more time to reach safety and then remain in shelters for extended periods.
JDC is also distributing resilience kits designed to bring structure and connection to 70 shelters in seven of the most vulnerable cities. The kits include guided activities, games and exercise tools for older adults that promote mental engagement and gentle physical movement; sensory and calming toys and activities for children with special needs; games and crafts activities to occupy and relieve stress for children; and Passover supplies to ensure a taste of holiday joy amid challenging circumstances.
As it has done for more than a century, JDC is ensuring that vulnerable Jews around the world can celebrate Passover and draw hope from the holiday and the support of the global Jewish community. Across Moldova and Ukraine, JDC is distributing more than 35,000 boxes of matzah to the region’s neediest Jews, and across the entire former Soviet Union, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Georgia, the organization is holding hundreds of online and in-person holiday events and activities.
In Argentina, JDC is providing vulnerable Jews in economically challenged communities with financial assistance to purchase holiday foods. And in India, JDC is deepening the knowledge and Jewish identity of young adults through educational Passover programming. JDC also supports global Jewish communities facing rising antisemitism, such as in France, the Netherlands and Germany, by bolstering security, emergency preparedness, mental-health and social-service support.
JDC’s life-saving work and its Passover activities, including distribution of matzah by JDC’s Hesed social-service centers and Jewish volunteer corps in Ukraine, are supported by JDC’s partnerships with the Jewish Federations, Claims Conference, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, UJA-Federation of New York, individual donors and foundations.
