Challenge: The Unprecedented Fallout of War in Israel
Providing Relief & Support through Large-Scale Projects that Inspire Hope
When 2024 began, Israel was still reeling from the horrors of October 7 and the ensuing war, as was the entire global Jewish people. Thousands of families were mourning and traumatized. Hostages were still brutally held captive by Hamas. With widespread devastation of communities along the Gaza border and the north under attack by Hezbollah, hundreds of thousands of Israelis were displaced from their homes. One of the biggest challenges throughout 2024 was helping address the widespread and ongoing fallout of the war in Israel and meeting the increased demand for The Jewish Agency’s work. And The Jewish Agency was there to provide relief and support through the turmoil. We distributed critical financial aid to thousands of affected victims and businesses, supporting increasingly vulnerable populations. We were there to foster hope and resilience at scale.
Since its founding in 2002, our Fund for Victims of Terror has been supporting Israelis who have experienced unimaginable hardship and tragedy. The October 7, 2023, attacks left so many victims in its wake that, throughout 2024, the Fund continued to provide ongoing relief and resources to thousands of victims–as many in just one year as it had helped in its 20-year history total before that day. Working in collaboration with government resources, the Fund helped victims manage persistent challenges such as rehabilitation and PTSD care, necessary support for so many. We also offered several retreats throughout 2024, in collaboration with the Hostages and Returnees Families Forum, for family members of freed hostages and several hostage survivors themselves, which included psychologist-guided discussion circles, art workshops and more.
War & Hope
$80MM
Distributed in business relief through grants and loans
1,000+
Israeli teens impacted by the war participated in Campers2Gether
13,600+
At-risk children and their families benefited from Youth Futures' mentorship and support
"You don't understand the magnitude of what you've done for us. The space you provided allowed us to let go and begin healing and we emerged with renewed spiritual strength. Know that sometimes, moments like these truly save the soul. I have no words beyond immense gratitude: Thank you, thank you, thank you."
–Sister of a hostage survivor who received support from the Fund and took part in the November retreat
Since October 7 and through 2024, the Fund for Victims of Terror distributed 8,425 emergency grants to victims and families and 3,369 rehabilitation grants.
The Fund also organized respite camps for traumatized children during school vacations, offering support, joy and relief as kids get a chance to be kids again, connect with peers who understand what they are going through and strengthen their resilience. During the summer respite camp, there were 1,976 young participants.
“Especially during these times when fear often controls us, we have found a haven of peace through the Fund. We would give up the title of victims of terror in a heartbeat, but if we must bear it, we are so grateful to have your support, especially for our kids; you’ve become a beacon of hope for us and our children,” shared Moran from Sderot, the mother of two boys who attended the Fund’s respite camp in the summer of 2024.
In July 2024, after a Hezbollah rocket hit a soccer field in the Druze community of Majdal Shams, killing 12 young kids and injuring many others, The Jewish Agency, JFNA and Keren Hayesod announced 600,000 ILS in special emergency aid to the community. The Fund for Victims of Terror also immediately pledged to provide emergency grants and long-term rehabilitation assistance to the bereaved and injured families.
Besides the many victims needing monetary relief in 2024, numerous small businesses in Israel also suffered financial setbacks as they were forced to close or completely cease their operations due to the ongoing war and security situation, or as owners were called up for IDF reserve duty. To help these business owners, The Jewish Agency helped facilitate and provide vital support totaling more than $80 million by way of grants and loans through our business relief programs, in cooperation with Ogen, Shva, Klirmark Capital, Israel Venture Network, Brothers and Sisters for Israel, and other partners. These initiatives offered financial lifelines to business owners that assisted them in weathering this crisis.
“Managing a business during such a difficult time, while I also served in the IDF reserves on the Syrian border, was an overwhelming experience. The financial strain was immense, but The Jewish Agency’s support has been a crucial lifeline and we are deeply grateful. The grant gave us much-needed relief and the breathing room to rebuild our business,” conveyed Noam, the owner of Made in Golan, a small family business selling local products in the Golan Heights. After the attacks, Noam was called up for IDF reserve duty, leaving his wife to manage the business in his absence while also caring for their three kids under the threat of rocket fire.
Or, a single mother and the owner of Oryosss, a cafe chain with two shops in the Gaza Envelope that also experienced considerable challenges due to her service in the IDF reserves, added, “After October 7, my two businesses were shut down and for me, it was a total financial crash, the end of the world. Thanks to the loan from The Jewish Agency’s SparkIL program, I managed to support myself financially and reopen my businesses.”
In 2024, we also prioritized supporting at-risk and traumatized youth in Israel. We launched Campers2Gether to boost resilience specifically among teens impacted by the horrors of October 7. Through the program, teens living in the shadow of the conflict experienced a healing respite like no other and formed powerful connections as they attended 49 Jewish overnight camps around the world. Campers2Gether welcomed the first 1,000+ participants from the North and South of Israel to camps in the US and worldwide in the summer of 2024, followed by winter camps later in the year.
“For Israeli children and adults traumatized by the horrors of October 7, there is no telling how long the healing process may take, or if it will ever be possible to complete. But at camp in North America, we discovered that we are remarkably resilient. And just for a moment, we found a sense of inner peace,” reflected Shlomit, a teacher in Nofey Habsor in the Gaza envelope, who accompanied 20 of her Israeli students as a counselor as they participated in Campers2Gether at a camp in New York.
In 2024, The Jewish Agency also announced the expansion of our long-standing Youth Futures positive intervention program, which serves ~13,600 at-risk children and their families through mentorship and support. To assist more participant families in Israel, the program will increase its number of mentors and presence in communities in need, and Youth Futures also received formal recognition as a national program from the Government of Israel.
“My son, Haim, had been in Youth Futures for a year already before October 7, and after the attacks, Ora, his Youth Futures mentor, called me every day; she supported us throughout the war from the start. There were times when I picked up the phone and told her I was struggling, and it was important to me to have someone there for Haim. I’m so grateful to Ora and Youth Futures, to know beyond the financial, psychological, and emotional support, there are people out there who recognize and support us is incredibly uplifting,” shared Limor, Haim’s mother, and a resident of Ofakim who survived the massacre in her city on October 7.
Additionally, new needs arose in 2024 from the October 7 attacks, with farmers needing agricultural help harvesting crops due to a shortage of workers, displaced families needing supplies and support and more. Many Jewish Agency program participants, including those in our Mechinot (pre-army leadership academies) and Masa Israel Journey’s Masa Volunteers, engaged in critical volunteer opportunities throughout the year to assist Israel’s recovery.
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