Israel Emergency Relief Efforts

Now, more than ever, Israel needs our support.

Below is a list of highly-vetted organizations that donors can give to during these difficult times. While not comprehensive, it represents some of the best options in Israel, working in different areas with a proven track record of success.

There are many impactful, well-known organizations, such as the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Friends of the IDF, and Magen David Adom that we hope you will consider supporting as well. This list is intended to broaden the scope of options for our fund-holders, by providing funding opportunities that are extremely impactful but often less well-known outside of Israel.

If you would like to discuss your individual giving priorities and receive tailored funding recommendations, please contact the Center for Designed Philanthropy.

Click here to watch a webinar with our Israel Consultant Offi Zisser on how to support Israel through this crisis.

Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

  • Swords of Iron Federation Emergency Response – The Los Angeles communal response to October 7, providing support for frontline communities, evacuees, victims of terror, emergency relief, trauma relief, medical services, and more.

Trauma Support

  • Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (fiscal sponsor: PEF Israel Endowment Funds) – Working with Oct. 7 sexual assault survivors, ARCCI is offering carefully adapted interventions to support their therapeutic and material needs while also training professionals in the field on sexual trauma.
  • Israeli Service Dog Training Center (fiscal sponsor: PEF Israel Endowment Funds) Provides emotional support dogs and guide dogs to people who were wounded by Hamas or in battle, and/or those who are in need of emotional support due to the trauma of the war.
  • Kfar Izun (fiscal sponsor: PEF Israel Endowment Funds) – Kfar Izun therapists are providing long-term mental health support for hundreds of survivors of the Nova music festival and their families. The organization has expertise in treating youth experiencing mental health crises coupled with drug use.
  • NATAL – The Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center (fiscal sponsor: American Friends of NATAL) – Support to direct and indirect victims of trauma due to terror and war in Israel.
  • IsraAid – Bringing disaster relief to Israelis, particularly evacuees currently living in hotels, through psychosocial support, emergency assistance, and supplies.
  • Eran (fiscal sponsor: PEF Israel Endowment Funds) – Emotional support therapeutic hotline for Israelis in distress.
  • The Community Stress Prevention Center – Northern Resilience Program (fiscal sponsor: PEF Israel Endowments) – a Kiryat-Shmona based organization that leads trauma-focused and resilience-building interventions for the Israel’s Northern border communities and those from the North who are currently displaced.

 

Direct Assistance and Community Support

  • ELEM – Youth in Distress (fiscal sponsor: Elem Youth in Distress Inc.) – One of Israel’s leading organizations addressing youth at risk, ELEM is rapidly expanding to address the needs of young people who are now displaying PTSD, dangerous behavior, and delinquency as a result of Oct. 7.
  • Israel Association of Community Centers (“Matnasim”) (fiscal sponsor: American Friends of the Israel Association of Community Centers) – Providing emergency aid packages to affected communities and regional councils; providing retreats, activities, and outings for families who have been evacuated.
  • Dror Israel (fiscal sponsor: US Friends of Dror Israel) – Dror Israel is providing children with a stable and supportive routine, one of Israel’s most immediate needs. In 30 different locations, it is providing childcare facilities, therapeutic programs for children evacuees, and offering activity kits and online programming for those sheltering in place.
  • SVF Emergency Fund (fiscal sponsor: Jewish Funders Network) – The Social Venture Fund for Jewish Arab Equality and Shared Society in Israel is consolidating funding to organizations that: (1) provide basic needs and mental health support for the Bedouin communities in the South, and (2) work to prevent incitement and violence between Jews and Arabs in mixed cities.

Hostage and Military Support

  • Bshvil Hamachar (fiscal sponsor: American Friends of Bshvil Hamachar) - Helps IDF soldiers to overcome combat-related trauma, with professionally guided meetings, support-group activities, and ongoing personal support.
  • Hostages and Missing Families Forum (fiscal sponsor: JGive) – A forum of the families of kidnapped relatives and hostages in Gaza, who work together to urge an increase in diplomatic efforts to release their loved ones, and raise awareness of their plight worldwide.
  • Lone Soldier Center (fiscal sponsor: Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation) – Providing emotional and material assistance for lone soldiers in Israel without immediate family to support them.
  • Israel Conservatory of Music’s PTSD program (fiscal sponsor: PEF Israel Endowments) - SOUL Key is a musical rehabilitation program to alleviate PTSD due to military service trauma, using music as a tool for integrating back into Israeli society.

Health and Medical Care

  • Soroka Medical Center (fiscal sponsor: American Friends of Soroka Medical Center) – A major medical center for those living in Israel’s South, Soroka is providing care for the majority of those injured in the attacks and the war.
  • Sheba Medical Center (fiscal sponsor:  American Friends of Sheba Medical Center) - Leading medical center in Israel, treating serious rehabilitation cases of injured soldiers as well as providing psychiatric care for evacuees.

Jewish Funders Network also compiled a list of trusted organizations to support during this time. You can view their list here for further giving opportunities.