Alexander is a surgeon, and his wife is a trauma nurse. They immigrated from Siberia a week prior with their eighteen-month-old baby boy. Residing in the shelter in Ashdod, they speak of their experience coming to Israel at such a time. “I knew about the tension and what was happening just before our coming to Israel”, he says. When asked about his reaction to the war, Alexander says with a smile a moment before the emergency siren starts up again, “It’s in honor of my arrival – we received fireworks.”

While the adults are better able to handle the situation, the young children who just moved to Israel are more severely affected by this traumatic new reality. Sleeping on mattresses strewn on the floor, the children have been running in and out of the emergency shelters in the Absorption Center since the beginning of the war. To help them deal with this traumatizing event, the Jewish agency has organized various recreational activities that relieve their stress and anxiety.

Through the help and generosity of our friends and supporters, the Jewish Agency raised a billion shekels (over $250 million) for the construction of shelters a decade before the war. This defense infrastructure, which helps to keep the residents of Israel safe from rockets, was then constructed by Amigour, the Jewish Agency’s housing subsidiary. Ten years later, new Jewish immigrants who came to Israel thanks to the agency’s aid also benefit from the protection afforded by these shelters. Tragically, Israel and its citizens continue to face the same terrorist threats, making such shelters a necessary fact of life in the holy land.

Whether through the construction of protective shelters, the operation of absorption centers, or through special programs for children under fire, the Jewish Agency tirelessly works to protect and care for Israelis who are the targets of terror and war.

Established in 1929, The Jewish Agency has worked to secure a vibrant Jewish future for more than 85 years. The Jewish Agency was instrumental in founding and building the State of Israel, and as the official partner to the State of Israel, continues to serve as the main link between the Jewish state and Jewish communities everywhere.

Throughout the years, the Jewish Agency has kept an unwavering promise to the Jewish people: to bring any Jew, from anywhere in the world, to safety in Israel. Since Israel’s establishment, the Jewish Agency has helped more than 3,000,000 Jews from around the world immigrate to Israel, with nearly 28,170 moving to the Holy Land last year alone. Furthermore, 16,000 Jewish immigrants received help adjusting to Israeli society, finding employment and creating new social networks in Jewish Agency absorption programs.

Our work would not be possible without the vital support of friends from around the world. By supporting the Jewish Agency’s programs, you’re helping to bring more Jewish families to Israel, providing them with their flight to Israel, temporary housing, Hebrew lessons, social support, vocational training and employment guidance, to ensure their smooth transition into their new life in the Promised Land.

Top: Alexander, his wife, and their eighteen month old baby, at the Jewish Agency shelter in Ashdod. Photo: Nathan Roi/The Jewish Agency

Jewish Agency for Israel North American Council is a tax-exempt public charity in the United States under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by U.S. law.