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US high-schoolers in Israel create care packages for displaced Israeli families

The packages were distributed in Beersheva and other regions in Israel’s Negev that were hit hard by the conflict.

Muss students with completed care packages.
Muss students with completed care packages.

In an incredible show of solidarity, support, and leadership, over 150 American students at Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel came together to support Israelis displaced from the ongoing war with Hamas through both care packages and an already-successful fundraising campaign.

The students, spearheaded by Anna Katz of Seattle and Emmy Ravid of Los Angeles, worked together to create more than 1,700 bags containing essential items such as towels, shampoo and soap for families that were displaced, along with classic Israeli snacks. Students also wrote personal notes of support and included them in the bags to lift the spirits of the families. The packages were distributed in Beersheva and other regions in Israel’s Negev that were hit hard by the conflict.

In addition, Muss students, initiated by Philadelphia native Ariel Shavit, launched an online fundraiser to support Israelis, both military and civilian, who have been affected by the attacks. In less than three days, the students have raised over $55,000. The fundraiser is still active, and people can donate at: my.jnf.org/gazaenv/amhsifundraising.

“I want to say that these kids are our future leaders,” said Muss head of school Dr. Steve Kutno. “However, as they stepped up to help, their future has come today. Their torch has been lit, and their lifelong connection to their ancestral soil forever forged in this shared experience.”

To learn more about Alexander Muss High School in Israel, visit: amhsi.org.

About & contact the publisher
Jewish National Fund-USA builds a strong, vibrant future for the land and people of Israel through bold initiatives and Zionist education. As a leading philanthropic movement, the organization supports critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south as it develops new communities in the Negev and Galilee, connects the next generation to Israel, and creates infrastructure and programs that support ecology, people with disabilities, and heritage site preservation, all while running a fully accredited study abroad experience through its Alexander Muss High School in Israel.
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