Helping Our Extended Family Overseas

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On June 14, 2018, the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey launched the 2018-2019 allocations process for overseas grants, focusing on Israel-based organizations that concentrate on:

  • Helping youth-at-risk up to the age of 18, suffering from mental health issues, drug abuse, or family issues such as estranged parents, economic hardships, and parental abuse. 
     
  • Providing basic needs for seniors, for those living near or below the poverty line, (as defined by the State of Israel*). First priority will be given to Holocaust survivors and second priority to immigrants.
     
  • Programs that assist with entering or re-entering the job market, such as vocational training, providing skill sets, or providing education to enable more opportunities in the workforce.

Representatives from the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee presented an overview of today’s most pressing needs among vulnerable populations in Israel. Concurrent with the launch of the allocations process, the Federation also renewed calls for donations to fund essential programs for people in need, citing its goal to increase overseas allocations by 10% in the coming year.

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Describing the types of needs the Federation looks to address in Israel, Dan Rozett, the Jewish Federation’s Manager of Community and Israel Engagement, shared reflections from his recent visit to current Federation grant recipients. In his words:


This past winter, while in Israel, I visited a select number of organizations funded through the Federation’s targeted overseas grants. These organizations facilitate programs, with your support, for vulnerable populations throughout Israel.

Dedicated staff and volunteers from organizations such as Tahel – Crisis Center for Religious Women and Children, Gesher el Hanoar, Crossroads and the Ethiopian National Project are saving victims of sexual abuse, teens from crime and violence, and children from a bleak future, and helping them succeed in school and in life.

Miri, Yael and Shoshana who work at the Tahel – Crisis Center for Religious Women and Children – create programs to educate parents and children on how to recognize the signs of sexual abuse. They also run therapy sessions for children and adults who have been sexually abused by close family members. Every day consists of listening to the horror stories told by the victims. When you ask them why they would choose this career over another, they answer with a humble smile, “because someone needs to do it – someone needs to save these people, these children.”

Noa and Yarden, from Gesher el Hanoar, work tirelessly to make sure that “warm houses” for teens operate flawlessly. They demand discipline and structure, set expectations, and demand commitment from the teens. Noa and Yarden describe their day as “multi-tasking on steroids,” handling 40 different tasks each day, making sure that everyone that comes to the house has what they need, from hot meals, school supplies, therapy sessions, motivational talks, and more, all while hearing stories of sexual and physical abuse, homelessness, drug addiction, street violence, and suicide attempts.

I sat with “A,” a 17-year-old boy who, without any emotion, told me that his mother had passed away that week and that he just finished Shiva. When I asked him why he wasn’t with his family during this difficult time, his reply was that he was with his family –  Tomer, Noa, Yarden, and the other teens in the house.

Miles and Kaila are social workers at Crossroads Jerusalem, an organization that provides essential prevention and intervention programs for pre-risk and at-risk English-speaking ​teens and young adults in Israel struggling with social, emotional, and/or educational difficulties. Miles, an Oleh from Australia, uses art therapy to engage teens on the street. Set up on the streets of Jerusalem, his mobile art table is a real-time therapy session, allowing teens to immediately express their feelings, releasing stress and anger through art. As they paint, and through dialogue, Miles is able to draw them in to Crossroads for more intense therapy and life-changing coaching sessions. Kaila, originally from East Brunswick, uses her outgoing personality to make instant connections with teens on the streets and bring them to Crossroads for a hot meal, to meet other English-speaking peers, and eventually enter a program that will save their life. Both Miles and Kaila, together with the other social workers, make sure to take care of one another constantly debriefing each other as a release from the tough stories encountered on the streets.

Before I left, I was offered to speak to “E,” who has benefited from Crossroads over the last year. I asked him about what he thought of the staff. “They have saved my life,” he said. “I would have ended it had it not been for my therapist – who is now my friend. No one judged me and that made it easier for me to open up.” “E” now helps other teens integrate in the program – it is his way of giving back – to save others as he was saved.

The Heart of New Jersey community should be very proud of the work accomplished by the Jewish Federation’s overseas allocations committee. It was a privilege for me to see the results of our efforts first-hand and an honor to meet with dedicated staff that are on the front lines of the war against abuse, drug addiction, and social inequality in Israel. With funds provided by the Jewish Federation, our community is helping them win battle after battle.

Applications for Israel-based non-profits, that meet the following criteria, are now being accepted:

  • An organizational budget of $2,500,000 or less, AND with a program budget of $500,000 or less can request up to $30,000 per program as long as any of the following criteria is met.
     
  • Helping youth-at-risk up to the age of 18, suffering from mental health issues, drug abuse, or family issues such as estranged parents, economic hardships, and parental abuse. 
     
  • Providing basic needs for seniors, for those living near or below the poverty line, (as defined by the State of Israel*). First priority will be given to Holocaust survivors and second priority to immigrants. ​
     
  • Programs that assist with entering or re-entering the job market, such as vocational training, providing skill sets, or providing education to enable more opportunities in the workforce.

Dan Rozett is the Jewish Federation’s Manager of Community and Israel Engagement.