IEF UPDATES
Israel Emergency Fund Allocation Report
The Greater Miami Jewish Federation has always been a strong supporter of collective action, including the allocation of resources through our JFNA national system. The majority of our Israel and Overseas allocation supports core funding of longtime, trusted overseas partners. A smaller percentage supports our partnership with the city of Yerucham in the Negev desert, women’s issues in Israel, the Ethiopian-Israeli community, emergency medical response, religious diversity, food insecurity, special needs in Israel, as well as other work in countries outside of Israel in the FSU and Latin America.
Federation has taken the same approach for the distribution of Israel Emergency Funds. We contribute our fair share to the efforts identified by the national Federation system and also fund initiatives that are important to our community. To help guide the process of allocating IEF dollars, an Israel Emergency Allocations Subcommittee has been charged with making funding recommendations for approval by the Israel and Overseas Committee and the Federation Board of Directors.
Since October 7, Yerucham has mobilized to take in hundreds of families displaced from the Gaza Envelope. With a number of army bases in the region, they are also caring for IDF active-duty and reserve soldiers. The Greater Miami Jewish Federation is providing direct allocations through the Israel Emergency Fund to the following initiatives:
Click here for details on Federation elective IEF allocations.
JFNA UPDATES
The Greater Miami Jewish Federation Israel Emergency Fund supports the work of our partners in Israel through the collective efforts of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Below are the latest updates about our work.
Click here for details on JFNA's allocations thus far.
June 27, 2024
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Activities
- Three soldiers fell in battle in Gaza yesterday as fighting remains intense at numerous points across the Strip. In battles in Nuseirat in central Gaza, IDF forces encountered terrorists who were operating out of an UNRWA school. The compound was being used as a storage facility for guns, explosive devices, and mortar launchers, and was subsequently destroyed in an IDF air strike.
- Yesterday, acting on intelligence regarding the location of a high-ranking Hamas terrorist who had led strikes on October 7, the IDF prepared an attack on the house in question. As seen in this video, just before deploying a strike, an IDF drone identified a young child approaching the location on a bicycle. The operation was immediately halted as the boy stopped in front of the target's house and the terrorist came out to talk to him. When the boy then rode away from the house, the terrorist walked back inside. At this point, a green light for the attack was reissued, the terrorist was killed, and the child was saved.
Hostages
- Despite the completion and operation of the new floating pier by the US military, the Pentagon said that it has so far been unsuccessful in delivering aid to the Gazan population.
- See more figures on humanitarian aid here.
Hostages
- US Vice President Kamala Harris met last week with a former Israeli hostage who was the victim of sexual torture during her captivity in Gaza; the Vice President also spoke with women who survived other conflict-related sexual violence around the globe.
- On Monday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum released a difficult video (warning: graphic content) of the moment Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy and Eliya Cohen were captured by Hamas terrorists.
- Listen to this MSNBC interview with Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents, about the latest potential hostage deal and the experiences they have endured over the past eight months since their son was abducted.
- Read more about the three young men depicted in the video:
- Berkeley-born 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin is known as a devoted brother to his two sisters and a beloved son to his American-born parents, Rachel and Jon. He is a Jerusalemite who immigrated to Israel with his family at the age of seven, a nature and music lover, a major soccer fan, and a world traveler. He spent last summer exploring Europe and attending music and trance festivals. Hersh is described by loved ones as a quiet child and a voracious reader. He was taking refuge in a bomb shelter with fellow partygoers at the Supernova music festival when Hamas terrorists hurled a grenade into the room, seriously injuring him and killing others. The last messages he sent that morning to his parents were, “I love you guys” and “I’m sorry.”
- Or Levy works in tech and is raising his two-year-old son, Almog, together with his wife Eynav. The 33-year-old, whose name means light, is described as an intelligent and happy young man who is always smiling and helping others. On the morning of October 7 Or and his wife traveled to the Nova music festival and left their young child with family. They sought refuge in a shelter that was overpowered by terrorists using grenade fire, which killed most of the people in the shelter, including Eynav. Or was later abducted into Gaza. Their son Almog celebrated his third birthday last week, without his parents by his side.
- Eliya Cohen is a 27-year-old young man who was living in Tel Aviv with his girlfriend Ziv before he was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Nova music festival. He is described by his mother as a boy with “a huge, big heart.” He enjoyed dancing at parties in Israel and around the world, where he met many friends. He is also an animal lover. His mother called on the international community to first of all believe what happened on October 7. “They’re just civilians that went to dance. Just young people who went to celebrate life.”
