Israel Emergency Campaign
Activity Report September 21, 2006

As the New Year approaches, we are investing many resources and efforts to rebuild the north. The number of missions and volunteers arriving in Israel has been heartwarming; many people from Israel and overseas are coming to support the northern population.

With blessings for a good, happy and sweet New Year, we send you the following highlights of the activities implemented by UJC, JAFI, JDC, ORT and ENP.

School Readiness Camps:
Week-long summer camps for 100,000 Jewish, Arab and Druze children in the north that provided respites from the violence in the North. JDC ran programs for Jewish Israelis, while JAFI ran camps for others as well. The camps provided stability, allowing these young people to readjust to routines and help them prepare for school after a traumatic time. The project has concluded and was considered a success.

Emergency Psychological Support:
A core team of 35 psychologists, supplementing the 110 psychologists hired by the Ministry of Education, are providing six months of therapy in schools to address the needs of children who have experienced and are still suffering from trauma.

Emergency Trauma Relief:
This includes a broad set of services for vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, elderly and children, as well as programs for training volunteers, activating hotlines and supplying psychological treatment.

SPACE:
SPACE is an Ethiopian National Project (ENP) program for junior high school and high school students in the Ethiopian population through interventions, including educational enrichment, youth centers and support for parents. These projects are to be implemented in new locations in the north of Israel, and expanded in certain existing locations in the north.

Emergency Afternoon Activities:
This program provides afternoon activities for two months in a safe and nurturing environment for approximately 100,000 children. These activities include educational enrichment, recreation, therapy and lunches.

College Students:
Two programs have started to assist students who wish to study in college this year but whose lives were disrupted by the war. One supports soldiers who were called up to fight in the war, and thereby unable to work in the summer to pay for their tuition. The other program supports those who want to study in colleges in northern confrontation areas.

Small-Business Grants:
Many small businesses, particularly those in the tourism industry, are facing bankruptcy because the war seriously impacted the summer travel season. This program provides approximately 6,000 grants to small businesses to help them recover.

School Supplies for the Indigent:
Initiated by ORT, this program helps indigent families requiring financial aid to cover the costs of a new school year, including school books and supplies, uniforms and sports equipment.

Food Assistance:
The Forum to Address Food Insecurity and Poverty in Israel is establishing a central, joint-purchasing process enabling NGOs dealing in food assistance to purchase food and basic goods at 10-20 percent off manufacturer’s prices, as well as a 25 percent discount through a $1 million IEC grant. This program, to begin in time for the holidays and run through November, will serve as a pilot project for creation of a federation of food assistance programs.