Jewish Agency Special Emergency Assistance Fund
As the war against Hamas continues, many Israelis are facing increasing pressure just to live. Huge chunks of land in the north of Israel are burning as a result of Hezbollah rockets; the war has severely limited Israel’s food supply.
While the world pours aid into Gaza, Israelis face major austerity measures. The crippling cost of the war, coupled with skyrocketing prices for food, is making daily life increasingly difficult. Christians for Israel New Zealand continues to join with our other affiliates around the world to raise practical support.
As we speak with our friends in Israel, especially those working with the various projects that we support, we are hearing more and more of the desperate needs that they are trying to address every day. Our friend, Danielle Moore from the Jewish Agency, has shared with us the challenges they have in meeting the needs of families who are struggling just to survive from day to day. They are working through a diverse range of challenges, but in one area in particular, we would love to be able to provide support on behalf of New Zealanders.
The Jewish Agency has been directly involved in assisting over 8500 families through the Fund for Victims of Terror. There are, unfortunately, many Israelis who do not necessarily meet the criteria for such a fund but who remain in dire need. Whilst the Israeli Government, the Jewish Agency, and other organisations are working extremely hard to provide support, the funds are limited and the task huge. For example, siblings and older children of those killed in the terror attack do not receive any assistance. Even a small grant can make an enormous difference to relieve hardship and provide hope. Similarly, Israelis who have lost one parent do not currently receive any assistance. If both parents are lost, there is a comprehensive support structure in place, but if only one parent has been killed, there is no such support. There are also cases where, due to the diverse makeup of some families, they do not qualify for any assistance. Where a family may have been through a marital breakup, for example, and the children live in both parent’s homes, support following the death of the child is split across sometimes many family members/homes. Additional support is often needed as families journey through the incredible grief of losing a child to terror.
If you are considering a way of giving to Israelis that would otherwise ‘slip through the cracks’, please consider the Special Emergency Assistance Fund for Victims of Terror at the Jewish Agency.
