From Despair to Hope: Fulfilling a Historic Role

The terrifying sounds of gunfire, screaming, and rockets pierced the beautiful early autumn morning as Aviva and her daughter-in-law Tamar went about their family routine with grandchildren in tow. It was October 7 and when the terrorists reached the house next to theirs, Aviva, Tamar, and the children fled in fear, finding safety on the roof of a neighbor's home nearby.

They hid there, curled up and out of sight, for three hours. During this time, Tamar nursed her youngest child so she wouldn't cry and Aviva comforted the other two kids, reminding them to stay quiet, stroking their heads with the affection only a grandmother can offer.

They were later found by the Israeli military and evacuated to a hotel at the Dead Sea where they realized the extent of the losses that day – Aviva's other son, the beloved uncle of the three children, had been murdered. The trauma of this experience haunted the family, causing behavioral problems in the children and sleepless nights for the two women.

And then specially trained social workers from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) were deployed to help them begin the process of healing. The family was enrolled in JDC's Hibuki therapy program – enlisting the help of a toy dog that the children use to talk through their feelings – created in partnership with Tel Aviv University and the Israeli Education Ministry. Aviva and Tamar also received counseling services and resilience tools to cope with their new reality. They are among 8,600 hardest-hit Israeli children and parents aided by JDC with such services since the start of the war.

Caring for the most vulnerable
Founded in 1914 to help starving Jews in Jerusalem, JDC has been a balm for hope and healing during Jewish history's darkest moments. The global humanitarian organization ensures that Israel's most vulnerable are never left behind, that needy Jews are cared for, and that Jewish life thrives around the world. More than one million vulnerable Israelis benefited weekly from JDC-developed social services even prior to October 7.

Today, daunting longer-term needs are emerging: The security situation remains uncertain. The economy is in flux with high unemployment alongside critical labor shortages. Tens of thousands of evacuees continue to be displaced. Eighty-four percent of children are experiencing some level of trauma. And the most vulnerable, who have the least resilience, face the greatest danger.

"The damage of October 7 and the war on Israeli society is so vast, so deep, and so layered," says Dr. Sigal Shelach, Executive Director of JDC's Israel Programs. "More and more populations are at risk of falling between the cracks and in dire need of a social safety net and path to a new future. Together with our partners across Israeli society, we will again fulfill our historic role."

So JDC is on the ground – in evacuation centers, in battered communities, and in people's homes – to lift those who, broken and in despair, need to heal. By addressing emotional and physical trauma for people of all ages, providing economic relief and recovery, and reviving devastated communities in the North and South, JDC is laying the groundwork for a stronger Israel.

Finding hope far from home
Tens of thousands of Israelis have yet to return to their homes more than six months after the war began. While these evacuees are physically safe, they need basic aid and the healing that only community can provide.

In early fall, Shosh Bachar, 73, underwent knee replacement surgery and was recovering with the support of her family and community in Moshav Ohad, just outside of Gaza. But soon Shosh's world fell apart: on October 7, while she was locked in a safe room with her husband, her eldest granddaughter was murdered by terrorists at the entrance of the Moshav. Shosh was rescued and evacuated to a hotel in Eilat. Separated from the rest of her family, displaced from her home, and grieving over the gutting loss of her granddaughter, Shosh felt hopeless.

"At first you think it's only temporary, that soon you're going back home – and here we are still in the hotel," she laments. Friends from Moshav Ohad, who luckily were brought to the same hotel, persuaded Shosh to join them at one of JDC's active life classes for older adult evacuees. "I'll never forget the first class. It felt like I could breathe again!" she recalls emotionally.

During this emergency, JDC has assisted more than 25,000 older adults who have been evacuated or are living under fire to prevent functional deterioration – physical, cognitive, mental, or social – and ensure the dignity of Israel's founding generation under the toughest of circumstances.

"It helped my knee recover from the surgery, but more importantly, it helped my soul," says Shosh. "I've met new friends. I go to every JDC activity I can. I have a reason to wake up in the morning, to expect something, to smile."

Resilience and recovery, city by city
Beyond the Gaza Envelope, many nearby cities and towns also experienced unprecedented rocket fire and violent attacks. These communities are shattered and require a holistic solution to reach all in need. Many of these places have long-standing economic and social challenges, with a significant percentage of residents – including elderly immigrants, people with disabilities, and low-income families – already receiving services from JDC.

As a result of the war, thousands more people in these communities now rely on help for their daily survival. They include elderly afraid to leave their homes; injured or recently disabled struggling with a new reality; and people who have lost their livelihoods.

JDC's Mashiv Haruach (Reviving the Spirit) initiative restores psychosocial and economic well-being to heal these broken communities, building community resilience, a path to sustainable recovery, and a sense of personal security in deeply scarred Israeli cities. Mashiv Haruach's critical services are designed to be replicable and adapted to locations around Israel, reaching millions of people when brought to scale. The program is currently operating in Ofakim, Ashkelon, and Rahat, and expanding to Nahariya in the North. JDC's model – and the key to widespread and lasting impact – requires coalitions of community leaders, government, NGOs, and philanthropists to deploy the program and reach every Israeli in need.

This measurable difference can be seen in Ofakim's Mishor HaGefen neighborhood, where 52 people lost their lives on October 7. "At first everywhere we looked, we felt the horrors," says Tamar Hoffman, a social worker in the neighborhood. "People wanted to get away from here. They couldn't bear thinking of returning. But then the partnership between JDC, the Ofakim municipality, the Natan Association, and the Jewish Federation of MetroWest New Jersey brought our spirit back."

One of the first needs in Ofakim was to open a Community Resilience Center within the neighborhood, serving residents of all ages. "The Community Resilience Center offers respite activities, resilience classes, and a place for community gatherings," says Hoffman. "You can feel the change happening all the time."

A major focus of therapeutic interventions at the Center is addressing the needs of the city's youngest residents who have had their world shattered. A full roster of age-appropriate trauma therapy is available through arts and music as well as emotional therapy to help them cope, recover, and thrive.

Ofakim's Community Resilience Center now also has a quiet room available to all residents to support community mental health. First deployed by JDC as a pilot project in the hotels that gave safe havens to evacuees, the quiet room is specially designed to be calming, decrease anxiety and stress, and bolster mental resilience.

Securing a new future
Helping stabilize the Israeli economy from the catastrophic impact of the war is urgent. Small businesses, farms, and factories in Israel's South are struggling – and they are integral to the long-term recovery of these fragile communities. JDC is developing and implementing nimble solutions that provide new business models and retraining.

Eyal Giller, 53, a small farmer from Netiv Ha'Asarah, a moshav in southern Israel, was ready for the upcoming planting cycle in November 2023. The terror attacks changed everything. On that tragic day, 20 of his neighbors were murdered, and the army closed the moshav. The remaining residents, including Eyal's wife and four children, were evacuated; all foreign workers left; and volunteers were barred due to security concerns.

Eyal was all alone. "I had to stay here. I had to try and save at least something of my farm," he says. "But with the security fence completely open, and the huge trauma that we are all still trying to cope with, it has been tough for me. Sometimes your mind can't even think clearly about what to eat for breakfast."

JDC is offering customized support to businesses and farms like Eyal's to make sure they can continue operating. These services include the creation of a new business plan and a professional consultant to guide the proprietor in its implementation. Eyal's farm had focused on seeds and saplings but many international seed companies reduced their activity in Israel. The consultant is helping Eyal expand the kind of seeds he grows so he can find new markets.

"We lost so much, but with this program my dry land will flourish again. October 2024 is not only the year after, but my next planting cycle – and this time we will make it." Like Eyal, more than 1,100 small businesses, farms, factories, and suffering industries have received emergency support from JDC.

Strengthening communities facing antisemitism
Jews around the world, including Israelis, are facing a terrifying upsurge in antisemitism, manifesting in hate speech, threats and acts of violence, public protests and upheaval, and concern for personal and community safety.

Jewish communities in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia require locally tailored interventions to meet the challenges posed by the rising tide of hate, as they have in the past when grappling with terrorism or spikes in anti-Jewish sentiment. As a longstanding partner to these communities, JDC is aiding in efforts to strengthen Jewish community security, and leading resilience training and emergency response initiatives.

JDC and local Jewish communities are also deploying and supporting trauma and mental health services, including hotlines and family-based counseling and bolstering Israelis and Israeli-focused grassroots organizations globally.

Hope and sustainability
JDC's work in Israel, in Jewish communities around the world, and for populations facing disaster and strife is driven by high-impact partnerships with philanthropists committed to addressing the Jewish world's most urgent needs.

JDC receives significant funding for this work from Jewish Federations across North America through cooperation with JFNA and UIA Canada. Major funding partners also include the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Charitable Foundation, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, World Jewish Relief (UK), the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and tens of thousands of generous individual donors, foundations, and companies.

"The Jewish world is facing crises on many fronts – multiple conflicts, trauma, and rising antisemitism and instability. The worst-impacted Israelis and vulnerable Jewish communities in Ukraine and around the world are counting on the global Jewish community to ensure they get through this challenging time and come out stronger on the other side," said JDC President Annie Sandler and CEO Ariel Zwang. "JDC has always been central to that journey – an anchor of stability and care as the storm rages, but focused on building a tomorrow where the Jewish people and Israel thrive. Our ability to stay that course is only possible through the boundless generosity of our partners. As Jews around the world gather for Passover, we'll pray for peace and a secure future we craft together."

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