Responding in Crisis

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Responding in Crisis

• Jewish Agency Activities in Southern Israel

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Southern Israel Under Fire
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Quick FactsSince the operation began on
December 27th

• Over 500 rockets landed in Israel
• Ten people were killed (including three civilians
  and seven soldiers), 152 suffered light to
  moderate injuries, 4 people were severely injured

As of January 7th
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Israel Under Attack
Damage caused by rocket in southern Israel.Dec
27, 2008
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Jewish Agency StoriesOn the Ground

• 93 of our Net_at_ teenagers from Sderot, Eshkol,
  Ashkelon and Beer Sheva went to the Nitzana
  Educational Village for a week-long respite
  todayIt is deep in the Negev and our teenagers
  will be safe there. January 5, 2009  

Ravit Ohayon-Michal, Director of the Israel
DepartmentActivities in Sderot
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Israel Under Attack
Idan family home was destroyed by a
missile. Dec. 30, 2008
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Jewish Agency StoriesOn the Ground

• I drove to Sderot to get details from the people
  whose homes were hit by missiles yesterdayAs I
  left the scene, I looked around and noticed that
  Israeli flags were waving from the windows of
  almost all the houses on the block. January 5,
  2009  

Ofer Baram, Director of Community
Relations, Israel Southern Region
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Israel Under Attack
Rivka Cohen emerged alive after a missile
destroyed her wooden home in Netivot. Jan. 5, 2009
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Jewish Agency StoriesOn the Ground

• At 659 am we were awakened by the red alert
  siren and the "boom" of Kassam rockets
  fallingOur life is surrealistic. We try to
  function normally while the sounds of war
  surround us. January 5, 2009  

Soni Singer Director of the San Diego -IBIM
Student Village
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Jewish Agency in ActionPriority Initiatives
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The Widening Danger Zone

• As cities like Gedera, Yavneh, and Kiryat Malachi
  are hit, the needs of the southern region only
  increase

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Summary of Needs
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Additional Jewish Agency Initiatives
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Aiding Vulnerable Populations

• Retreats for Children Youth from Lower
  Socioeconomic Backgrounds
• Week-long retreat for Net_at_ participants in
  Nitzana
• 4-day retreat for Atidim participants at Hakfar
  Hayarok
• And more

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Aiding Vulnerable Populations

• 2. Assisting Children and the Elderly in Bomb
  Shelters
• 37 volunteers organized activities for children
  and the elderly in 8 shelters in Ashkelon.
• 27 volunteers organized respite activities for 50
  children from the south in Kfar Saba
• 9 volunteers prepared packages and food for
  soldiers in Be'er Sheva and Tel Aviv.

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Aiding Vulnerable Populations

• Assisting New Immigrants in Absorption Centers
• Absorption center staff was trained to respond to
  crisis
• Daily respite activities in the shelters
• 24 hour staff to help the immigrants
• And more

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Aiding Vulnerable Populations

• 4. At Home Together
• 400 families throughout Israel have offered to
  host families from the south, with additional
  offers pouring in every day.
• ( As of January 7th)

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Aiding Vulnerable Populations

• 5. SOS Emergency Fund
• More than 60,000 provided an immediate
• response to 63 victims in the south.
• ( As of January 7th)