Aug 15, 2014
When the Rockets Stop: Recovery Programs Under Way
While there is a temporary ceasefire in place, thousands of Israeli citizens continue to be traumatized by Red Alert sirens, the discovery of an extensive labyrinth of underground Hamas tunnels – many under Israeli communities – and the physical damage to homes, schools and businesses. 
An injured Israeli reacts to a Red Alert siren.
The Greater Miami Jewish Federation, along with The Jewish Federations of North America and numerous overseas partner organizations, has approved funding for programs and services that will help individuals and communities in Israel’s south recover from the crisis and return to a sense of normalcy.
Our support of the Israel Emergency Fund sustains these efforts, which will address specific needs in time for the start of the school year and the High Holidays:
- Therapy and training for special populations whose circumstances make them more susceptible to trauma and who have greater difficulty returning to feelings of safety and security. These include families with special-needs, at-risk and foster children; the elderly; domestic abuse victims and their children living in shelters; new immigrants; and members of the Bedouin community. There also are specially designed trauma workshops – using sign language, Braille materials, simplified language and more – to meet the unique needs of emotionally challenged individuals and people with disabilities.
- Emergency hotlines delivering psychological first aid for an unprecedented number of callers, particularly the elderly and the young, from all across Israel
- Community rehabilitation programs to help residents of southern Israel redevelop a normal routine and reestablish a sense of safety for themselves and their families – especially for those from Gaza-area villages and kibbutzim who are afraid to return home after the discovery of Hamas tunnels
- Therapeutic programs, appreciation events and respite trips for first responders, who not only put themselves at risk assisting the affected residents during every rocket attack, but also ensured that communities could effectively and efficiently re-absorb those returning after a ceasefire
- Counseling workshops for teachers, school counselors and parents to provide them with tools to identify and cope with trauma, both for themselves and their students/children
- Back-to-school activities for students and their communities to smooth the transition to “study mode” after a tumultuous summer
- Business loans and other forms of assistance for small and mid-sized businesses in southern Israel needing a kick-start after a stalled economy
- Community High Holiday events, as well as spiritual support from rabbis and Jewish educators to imbue residents with renewed energy and a more positive view of the future
- Maintenance of a database of vulnerable individuals, and deployment of additional caseworkers under emergency situations
If you have already made a gift to the Israel Emergency Fund, we thank you.
Please forward this email and ask friends to join you in helping Israelis in need.
If you have not yet made a gift, PLEASE DONATE NOW.
One hundred percent of your donation to the Israel Emergency Fund directly and immediately helps vulnerable and affected Israelis, while also sending a clear, unmistakable message that Miami’s Jewish community stands in complete solidarity with the people of Israel now and always.
You may also make a donation by calling 305.576.4000 or by sending your check payable to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 4200 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33137, with a notation for “Israel Emergency Fund.”
Stay informed about the situation through our Jewish Community Relations Council.
Advocate on behalf of Israel through Facebook and Twitter, and ask others to join you in contributing to the Israel Emergency Fund.
