From Crisis to Community Resilience
On October 7, 2023, Community Centers across Israel transformed into centers of emergency and resilience. They were not alone. The war impacted JCC Global's network of Jewish Community Centers around the world
Following the horrific events of October 7, 2023, Community Centers across Israel quickly mobilized resources, building upon robust communal infrastructure developed over many years. Providing emergency relief services and resilience-building programs proved more impactful within the context of community building, reinforced by recent research.
JCC Global, a network of more than 1,000 JCCs serving 3.5 million people worldwide, identified another strong asset: belonging to regional and global networks, which provide flexible combinations of human talent – proving time and again that creative solutions don't originate from one geographical location, nor do size or seniority assure success.
Transforming Community Centers into lifelines
Under the auspices of the Israel Association of Community Centers (IACC) and the Israel Federation of Community Centers (IFCC), Community Centers across the country provide comprehensive services addressing physical, emotional, social, educational, and welfare needs.
"Since October 7, 2023, the Community Center became much more than a place for programs – it transformed into the emotional and logistical heart of the neighborhood," says Noam Drassinower, Director of the East Rishon LeZion Community Center, affiliated with IACC, and a JCC Global Fellow. "We opened a local relief hub supported by the Rishon LeZion Municipality and provided immediate assistance to residents, including families whose homes were hit by rockets. We organized volunteers, ran stress-relief activities, and created a safe space for people to reconnect."
As the war continued, IACC responded with several key initiatives:
Close to Heart - Parenting and Family Support Centers, funded in part by the Scheinberg Foundation, help families rebuild normalcy, resilience, and connection through parent-child emotional resilience programs.
AYEN (Asper Youth Empowerment Network) Centers: A network of youth empowerment centers across Israel built on three pillars: community action centers, performing arts centers, and youth resilience through sports.
Learning Centers: Bridge educational gaps and provide academic support for children and youth.
Senior Community Renewal Program: Combats isolation and loneliness, restores social connections, and ensures seniors can reintegrate into supportive communities.
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT): Established with support from JFNA and the Schusterman Foundation, in partnership with IsraAID and local authorities, the program strengthens community resilience by training local emergency response teams.
For the Community: Healing Journeys: A groundbreaking initiative in partnership with Natal that integrates post-traumatic growth with community-building, offering trauma survivors a transformative pathway through overseas journeys.
Tal Basechess, CEO of IACC, summarizes: "The strength of the Israel Association of Community Centers lies in the fact that we are deeply rooted within communities across the country. This daily connection enables us to shift rapidly from routine to emergency, and to stand by residents in times of crisis. We are able to provide an immediate and comprehensive response, turning every Community Center into a hub of resilience."
Ukraine: three-tier support
JCC Global launched a comprehensive local, regional, and global approach to support JCCs in Ukraine enduring a prolonged war:
SecondStride Employment Initiative: This network-based program spanning eight JCCs addressed Ukraine's wartime employment crisis. It was made possible by a grant from UJA Federation of New York.
Mental Health and Healing Programs: Thanks to the Jack Buncher Foundation, 10 JCCs across Ukraine and Moldova provide more than 2,200 individuals psychological, social, and healing programs for displaced refugees and individuals with special needs.
The Dr. Mark Ramer Hub: Monthly online meetings for directors and senior staff enable peer support, enrichment, and ongoing guidance, focusing on strategic planning and board development in partnership with JDC.
Ukrainian Refugee Support: Through a grant from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, JCC Budapest and JCC Krakow provided community activities, summer camps, mental health sessions, and personalized support to hundreds of immigrants.
Global response
While Israel and Ukraine face actual warfare, JCCs worldwide have not been immune to crisis. Rising antisemitism, local conflicts dividing communities, and political tensions have strained Jewish communities globally. JCC Global employed its expertise in developing global partnerships by recently connecting 32 JCCs worldwide through the From Good to Great program, made possible by the Jewish Federation of North America. This initiative established 10 long-term global partnerships between 11 JCCs in Ukraine and 21 JCCs worldwide.
"When we connect these JCCs to Jewish communities around the world, we're not only strengthening our neighborhoods, but also reinforcing the resilience of the Jewish people as a whole," concludes Noam Drassinower from Rishon LeZion. "This is what community resilience looks like – local, human, and real."
The transformation of JCCs from recreational facilities to lifelines demonstrates the power of community infrastructure and global networks. In times of crisis, these centers prove that belonging to something larger than ourselves – whether locally or globally – creates the foundation for resilience, recovery, and renewal.
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