In response to the tragic death of three residents of Kiryat Malachi, Jewish students from the city of Dnipropetrovsk in the Ukraine, who study at the “Or Avner” school, sent letters of support to students at their twin school in Kiryat Malachi, “Chabad Girls”. Students from the “Leon Pinelo” Jewish day school in Lima, Peru, conducted internet conversations with students from their twinned school “Kiryah Comprehensive” (Mekif Zayin) in Ashdod. Students from the Cultural School in Mexico sent support videos to their friends in Ein Habesor, near the Gaza Strip; Students from San Diego photographed themselves with Israeli flags; and members of the Chicago Jewish community sent letters of support to their partners in Chicago’s partnership region in the Kiryat Gat, Lachish and Shapir regions.

Many Jewish communities around the world are organizing ralliesin support of Israel. Members of the Jewish community of San Diego, which is partnered though the Jewish Agency’s Partenrship2gether program with the Sha’ar Hanegev region near Gaza, are organizing a rally in support of  Israel for tomorrow (Sunday 11/8). In Australia, the Jewish community, together with the Jewish Agency for Israel shlicha (emissary), is also organizing support rallies, calling for participants to come dressed in red (in solidarity with the Code Red warnings). The rallies will be held simultaneously in Sydney and Melbourne and later in Perth.

Code Red Campaign on Facebook:

The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) has launched an online campaign to support the residents of southern Israel living under rocket fire. The campaign asks people around the world to send in photographs wearing red clothing to match the  ‘Code Red’ warnings. The Campaign was the joint initiative of AUJS students and The Jewish Agency for Israel National Shaliach to AUJS.  The campaign has already received strong support with photos coming in from Australia and many other countries around the world. Jewish organizations such as the Zionist Federation of Australia have also replaced their logos on Facebook with a red version in support.

Escalation in the South: The Jewish Agency for Israel distributes immediate emergency grants from funds raised by the Jewish Federations of North America

Following the recent escalation of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Fund for Victims of Terror has distributed emergency grants to residents who were injured or whose houses were damaged by rocket fire. The Jewish Federations of North America has provided the funding for these grants. The average emergency grant is $1000 USD per terror victim. The grants are intended to help residents with their initial recovery after an attack. In the last few days, representatives of the Fund have visited the homes of families who have suffered from rocket fire and distributed the emergency funds.
 
In addition to the emergency grants, residents who are recognized as victims of terror by the Israel National Insurance Institute can apply to the Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror to receive additional assistance of up to $5000 USD. These further grants are intended to help ease the recovery period and fund additional necessities which are not covered by Israeli government institutions.

The Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel, Natan Sharansky, said that the assistance provided by the Jewish Federations of North America is a demonstration of the solidarity that Jews around the world feel with the residents of southern Israel. These Israelis have had to cope with an extremely difficult reality for the last few days, dealing with the terrible pain of those who have been injured and those whose loved ones have been killed.

For details on how to apply for assistance from the fund call 03-745 3542.

For further information for journalists call Jewish Agency for Israel Foreign and English language media spokesperson Benjamin Rutland on 052 609 1099.