Early on Saturday 7th October, during the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah, terrorists attacked Israel, killing thousands and taking hundreds of people hostage. Simchat Torah is traditionally one of the most joyous days in the Jewish calendar, and instead, this day will be remembered forever for all the wrong reasons.
World Jewish Relief unequivocally condemns the senseless and devastating attacks on Israel and we stand together with the community – in the UK, in Israel and across the world – in strength and solidarity. We are deeply troubled by the unimaginable scale of human suffering experienced by Israelis and Palestinian civilians caught up in the conflict, and our thoughts are with all those affected during this extremely difficult time.
We were founded 90 years ago to rescue Jewish people in peril, and it remains our mission to respond to those suffering the consequences of conflict or disaster – both within and beyond our community. That support has not traditionally included Israel because of the vast number of charities that already do excellent and much needed work there. But, after watching the terror that unfolded on Simchat Torah, we – like so many of you – are eager to do something to help.
We will be supporting specific unmet needs in Israel through several outstanding local Israeli partners. Their work aligns closely with our areas of work, and focuses on vulnerable families and young people, refugee communities and ongoing trauma support for people across Israel, including Ukrainian refugees and Bedouin communities affected by the current situation. We are not fundraising for this support and will instead make a contribution directly from our reserves.
If you wish to support relief efforts, there are a significant number of organisations providing critical aid on the ground in Israel, including:
- UJIA: https://ujia.org/
- Joint Distribution Committee: https://www.jdc.org/
- MDA UK: https://mdauk.org/
- New Israel Fund (NIF): https://www.nif.org/
- ZAKA: https://zaka.org.uk/
- Ort: https://ortuk.org/
- United Hatzalah israelrescue.org
- WIZO: https://wizouk.org/israel-needs-you
- Emunah: https://www.emunah.org.uk/Appeal/emergency-appeal
The Jewish Leadership Council also has a dedicated community resource portal online with links to information, events, fundraising and important resources to support the community during this difficult period. Please visit the portal for more information www.thejlc.org/israel
Thank you for your support.
