At 5:20 a.m. on Monday (March 25, 2019) morning, families living in suburbs and villages north of Tel Aviv were awakened by an air-raid siren. Within minutes, a rocket fired from Gaza would hit one of their neighborhoods.

Among them were the Wolfs, a three-generation family of seven. They woke up the children and rushed into the reinforced shelter in their home just before the rocket hit. Half the building was flattened – including the crib in which the baby had been sleeping. What was left of their home caught fire and shrapnel hit a gas tank nearby. Their two dogs were killed. All seven members of the family, including two infants, sustained injuries – including burns, shrapnel wounds and trauma. They were rushed to a hospital in Kfar Saba for medical attention.

Just a few hours later, The Jewish Agency for Israel sent a staff member to their town, Mishmeret, to deliver financial aid in person, along with messages of solidarity on behalf of world Jewry.

Just a few hours later, The Jewish Agency for Israel sent a staff member to their town, Mishmeret, to deliver financial aid in person, along with messages of solidarity on behalf of world Jewry.

The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror provides assistance to Israelis who suffer personal injury or major property damage due to a terror attack. The aid comes in several forms. Initially, Jewish Agency personnel arrive within 48 hours to provide 4,000 NIS (more than $1,000) to each victim, which they can use for their immediate needs, like clothing, shelter and transportation.

Then, for two years after the attack, victims are also eligible for larger financial grants toward trauma therapy, professional re-training or other long-term rehabilitative needs. The Fund also runs summer camps and organized days of respite for child victims.

Currently, the Fund for Victims of Terror is distributing grants toward therapy for some 200 children who have been physically or emotionally traumatized due to the current security situation in the Gaza perimeter, which includes regular rocket attacks and fires caused by “terror kites.”

The Fund for Victims of Terror is supported by The Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod, and other Jewish donors and foundations worldwide.