Community Solidarity Gathering: July 23, 2006

UJA FEDERATION OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

ISRAEL CRISIS UPDATE

Please join us this Sunday as WE STAND WITH ISRAEL

Community Solidarity Gathering

Sponsored by UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey and the JCC on the Palisades

Sunday, July 23, 2006 – 7:00 PM
JCC on the Palisades

PROGRAM

ANTHEMS

Cantor Ilan Mamber, Temple Beth Rishon, Wyckoff

WELCOME

Ronald Rosensweig, Past President
UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey

OPENING PRAYERS

Rabbi Neal Borovitz, President, North Jersey Board of Rabbis
Rabbi Shalom Baum, Vice President, Rabbinical Council of Bergen County
Cantor Ilan Mamber

DIGNITARIES’ REMARKS
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez
Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney
Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson (District 37)

MESSAGE FROM GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL
Benjamin Krasna, Deputy Consul General of Israel in New York

“ON THE GROUND IN NAHARIYA” PRESENTATION

Dr. Bernard Hammer, Chair, Partnership 2000 Community Task Force
Jared Nelson, Kefiada Counselor

READING
Israeli counselors at Neil Klatskin Day Camp, JCC on the Palisades &

“Open Hearts, Open Homes”, Bergen County Y, a JCC

CLOSING

Oseh Sholom, Hatikvah – Cantor Ilan Mamber

UJA DOLLARS ARE HELPING VULNERABLE

POPULATIONS IN ISRAEL DURING THIS TIME OF CRISIS

When crisis hits, the vulnerable suffer most. This is the harsh reality now facing many Israelis across the north of Israel. Yet, they can be helped with a range of alternative services designed to deliver assistance during the security emergency.

ELDERLY

Emergency Supportive Communities for the Elderly

25 Supportive Communities in affected areas are already working with local elderly to mediate the impact of the sudden and alarming downturn in the security situation. They are prepared to further extend services to help members cope with the challenges of the emergency as soon as funds become available. Expanded services will include:

a.. Basic home equipment for use in time of emergency (e.g. emergency lights, television etc);
b.. Transportation assistance to increase members' mobility
c.. Seminars on "Coping in Times of Emergency"
d.. A part-time social worker for each community to provide elderly with additional support

Cost of bringing these services to one existing supportive community – $50,000

Urgent Interim Assistance for Day Center Clients

By order of the Home Front Command, Day Care Centers for the elderly within missile range have now been closed. Urgent assistance for these clients who depend on regularly attending day care centers for their basic needs must be addressed. This includes additional manpower to provide meals on wheels and urgently-needed medications, as well as other social assistance to elderly at home; and assuring that all residential shelters servicing this population are equipped with essential supplies.

10,000 elderly at an average cost of $100 per person per month. The need to further extend these services will be monitored as the situation continues to unfold.

Emergency Assistance through Day Centers for the Elderly.

Once 20 Day Centers for the elderly in affected areas are allowed to reopen, they will require an Emergency Basket of Services in order to help clients deal with the trauma and challenges already wrought by the unfolding security emergency. Each Center will provide assistance according to local needs. Services will include:

a.. Two social worker positions at each day center to support elderly through their anxieties
b.. Funding for non-members to attend and benefit from the center's supportive environment
c.. Meals on wheels for those elderly who cannot attend due to the security situation and additional meals for non-members
d.. Seminars on "Coping in Times of Emergency" for both members and other local elderly
e.. Transportation assistance to and from hospitals
f.. Day Center telephone hotline to provide round the clock assistance

Average cost of basket of services per day center – $100,000

Aiding the Children of northern Israel

A Report by Zeev Bielski, Chairman of Executive, Jewish Agency for Israel

Editor’s Note: Among the agencies helping Israeli children during this crisis period -- as reported below by Zeev Bielski -- is the Ben Yakir Youth Aliyah Village. This program receives direct funding from UJA NNJ, as well as funds through the Federation’s allocation to the Jewish Agency.

The State of Israel is currently under a murderous attack by missiles which are aimed at the heart of the civilian population in towns and communities in the northern part of Israel. As of today, the death toll stands at thirteen killed and hundreds of injured victims and traumatized civilians.

Hundreds of thousands of people live in these areas, whose daily routine has been turned upside down. Among them are tens of thousands of children who only two weeks ago began their summer vacation and who today find themselves in bomb shelters in terrible conditions under severe stress. So too are 2300 immigrants who live in our absorption centers in this region. These new immigrants came to Israel only a few months ago and now find themselves in the midst of a war.

Based on the commitment of the Jewish People in the Diaspora for the State of Israel and its citizens, the Jewish Agency has taken upon itself to assist the towns and communities on the confrontation line and to attend to the requirements of the most needy population in this region- the new immigrants on one hand and the children from the towns and communities on the other.

The Jewish Agency has succeeded by the wonderful and speedy organization of its devoted employees and many volunteers to organize a large scale operation in the framework of which we will bring to the center of Israel 4000 children from the communities in the north, among them both Jewish and Arab kids, new immigrants and veterans whose summer vacation joy has been shattered and who are now living under unbearable tension in the north of Israel.

I would like to share with you a very moving experience which I had yesterday and today during visits to the summer camp that we have set up on the banks of the Yarkon River with the help of the " Noar Haoved Vehalomed" youth movement where we are caring for 1000 children and youths. This camp will cater throughout the summer to additional sessions of participants.

Today I visited two more summer camps, one at the Jewish Agency's youth village of Ben-Yakir*, and the other at the Wingate Israeli National Sports Center. In each camp there are hundreds of kids from the north.

It is difficult for me to describe to you the joy and excitement of the kids whom we brought out from the north and enabled to be far from the line of fire. The eyes of the children say everything.

We would not have been able to carry out this wonderful activity without the support and backing that we have received from all our friends in the Jewish world and in Israel.

Once again, I would like to single out and express my appreciation for the special partnership with the UJC and those who stand at its head, who in light of the serious situation in Israel decided to increase their contribution and thereby enable us to absorb thousands more kids in the summer camps in the center of Israel.

Special thanks to all our friends in the countries of Keren Hayesod for the special campaigns which they are organizing for this project.

I am proud to share with you the news that today we received a contribution of $1million from one of the Israeli members of the Board of Governors who joined me today on a tour of our summer camps. I feel it is a great honor that such a prominent leader of Israeli society chose to express his support of the Jewish Agency and grant us this generous assistance.

This donation is a moving example of the recruitment of Israeli society towards the efforts of the Jewish Agency and furthermore marks an important milestone in the involvement and contribution of our Israeli partners.

Over the past few hours I have been speaking with many of our friends throughout the world, including the directors of Partnership 2000, whom I briefed on our current needs as well as those of the towns and communities in the north.

This is an hour of grace, an hour of good will, an hour of national responsibility for the Jewish people in Israel and throughout the world.

I turn to you to mobilize as one and to work together with us so that we will be able to fulfill the important tasks which stand before us on behalf of the State of Israel during these days.

· Ben Yakir Youth Aliyah Village receives direct funding from the UJA NNJ.

Alan Grossman
Director, Marketing & Communications
201-488-6800 ext. 219
alang@ujannj.org
UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey
www.ujannj.org

UJA Federation takes action every day to improve the quality of Jewish
community life in northern New Jersey, Israel and around the world.

See a list of ways to help at What We Can Do To Help Israel

Technorati Tag: Israel.