The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) deployed emergency aid and services over the past two weeks to support vulnerable populations across Israel—the poor, the elderly, people with disabilities and at-risk families—at increased peril from constant bombardment. The global humanitarian organization has also deployed immediate, comprehensive humanitarian relief to Tamra, Bat Yam and Bnei Brak, communities devastated in recent attacks from Iranian missiles and drones.
“Millions of Israelis who are already grappling with the challenges of post-Oct. 7 life and recovery are once again dealing with the loss of loved ones, displacement, trauma and living in fear of what will come next,” said CEO Ariel Zwang. “JDC is on the ground assisting the most vulnerable and distributing aid to those in the line of fire.”
JDC’s humanitarian support to people throughout Israel includes:
• A comprehensive emergency humanitarian response in three severely affected cities: Tamra, Bat Yam and Bnei Brak. This effort includes an emergency aid package funding the cities’ provision of food, medicine, clothing, hygiene supplies and medical equipment, as well as mattresses and entertainment kits for shelters; expanding JDC’s community caseworkers to these three hard-hit locations by placing new caseworkers in each city to ensure that the elderly and people with disabilities are provided with medical and mental-health services, emotional support and safety guidance, and needed social benefits; and deploying JDC emergency response professionals to assist the municipalities in meeting emerging needs.
• Specialized trauma support for children in the line of fire. JDC’s proven therapy program, Hibuki (meaning “hug” in Hebrew), is expanding to provide healing to hundreds of children in Rishon Letzion, Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan. It comes in the form of a stuffed animal in the shape of a stuffed dog with comforting, long arms that children can project their emotions onto. These children face trauma caused by the attacks, as well as loss of their homes and displacement for those who have been evacuated, in addition to the ongoing stress of war. Hibuki was developed by the JDC, the Ministry of Education and Tel Aviv University. The JDC is also providing online group support for the children, parents and teachers in the northern and southern regions where Hibuki has been operating to prevent retraumatization and continue the treatment process that was underway.
• Digital tools are helping vulnerable populations remain safe. This includes providing emergency preparedness education for seniors and people with disabilities; stress-relief activities and vital necessities for children and families without safe rooms; expanded online services for families with young children; and digital mental-health resources like JDC’s flagship Nafshi web portal, which now reaches 190,000 Israelis.
• Connecting Israelis to essential goods and services. Israelis can access real-time information via a JDC digital resource to find open services such as supermarkets, pharmacies, medical clinics and gas stations.
• Increasing access to emergency information for non-Hebrew speaking and other vulnerable populations. Life-saving guidance and resources are being translated into multiple languages, including Russian, Amharic and French, in addition to the existing information in Arabic. People with disabilities and the elderly are receiving tailored safety tools, information and support to help them be prepared and maintain resilience.
• Training foreign caregivers working under fire. Foreign caregivers will be trained and supported through multilingual videos, emotional support sessions and practical caregiving tools to help them continue their vital work with the elderly in Israel during intense missile attacks.
Following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and throughout the war, JDC has assisted more than 1 million of the hardest-hit Israelis. Its emergency response work is made possible through the continued partnership and support of the Jewish Federations of North America, foundations and individual donors worldwide.
“Israel’s home front has shown remarkable resilience during this new and different phase of the war, but many of the country’s most vulnerable populations have suffered a devastating blow physically, emotionally and financially,” stated Brig. Gen. (Res.) Hadas Minka Brand, Ph.D., executive director of JDC Israel.
“We are fully focused on addressing their immediate and urgent needs, while standing by them for the long haul to ensure their healing and recovery,” he said. “The path to a safe, strong and bright future for Israel depends on meaningful action on the social front, both today and in the months ahead. I believe in our collective ability to prevail there as well.”