Assistance to Non-Jewish

Populations

Moneeb
Bader
“It is a great step that the Jewish Agency is
becoming involved in the Druze community. There
are many needs in the educational and social
arena that need to be addressed. The Jewish
Agency’s involvement can be a major factor in
moving things forward.”
 Moneeb Bader was born in the Druze village of Hurfesh, where he currently lives with his
wife and three small children. The 52-year-old retired military attaché to Brazil, Peru and
Bolivia had an illustrious 29-year career in the Israel Defense Forces.

Although he served as the Deputy Commander of the Galilee Division, in charge of the
Israeli-Lebanese border, the recent war came as a surprise to him. “This was the first time
that citizens suffered so much. It was terrible,” says Moneeb.

During the Second Lebanon War, the Hezbollah rockets that rained down on Northern Israel
did not discern between Jew and non-Jew. “Over 60 Katyusha rockets fell on our village,”
says Moneeb.

The Jewish Agency for Israel made a commitment to assist all of Israel’s citizens in distress.
In northern Druze villages such as Hurfesh, children were brought to safety in the center
of the country through the Jewish Agency’s emergency summer camps. Bomb shelters
were equipped with air condition units and when the war ended school readiness activities
helped children prepare for school after an extremely stressful summer.

The Jewish Agency is building on the relationships with non-Jewish populations

established during the war and moving forward with innovative new programs.

“There is a very large gap educationally and economically between the Druze population
and the Jewish population,” says Moneeb. “I am certain that the Jewish Agency’s
involvement will help change this.”

www.jewishagency.org
Scholarships for Students
Studying at Northern Regional
Colleges and Students Called-up
for Emergency Reserve Duty

Ilanit Sigati
“I’ve been living in the North for four years.
I love the region. But the war made me question
whether I wanted to stay. The scholarship to study
at Tal-Hai College has erased any doubts that
I had. The Upper Galilee is where my future lies.”
 Ilanit Sigati, a 27-year-old third year student at Tel-Hai College in Upper Galilee spent
a nightmare summer in bomb shelters. Originally from Dimona, Ilanit moved to Kiryat
Shmona after meeting her partner Yair, who is from the Upper Galilee.

Throughout the war, Ilanit remained in Kiryat Shmona. Yair was serving in a combat unit in
Lebanon, and she wanted to remain close to him.

When the war ended both, Ilanit and Yair, who will be studying electronics at the Jezreel
Valley Regional College, planned to continue their college education. But the financial
situation was difficult for both of them.

“As a student in Israel it’s always a struggle to make ends meet,” says Ilanit. “I have to work
to pay for my tuition and living expenses. This year it is harder, as both of us were unable to
work because of the war.”

The young couple heard about the Jewish Agency scholarships on the radio and applied.
“It’s very moving to know that Jews around the world care about us. It gives me enormous
incentive to succeed,” says Ilanit.

Registration for northern regional colleges, which serve as an engine of the northern
economy, has significantly increased as a result of these scholarships.

In addition, more than 5,000 students like Yair, who were called-up for emergency reserve
duty, also applied for scholarships. Now, students who dropped everything to fight for their
country can move forward with their education.

www.jewishagency.org
Emergency Funds
for Small Businesses

Levana
Halfon
“One week after I applied for the Jewish Agency
grant for my business I received a check in the
mail. I cried when I read the accompanying letter
explaining that the money was donated from Jews
living in the US. There are such good people in this
world.”
 Levana Halfon runs a manicure, pedicure and eyebrow shaping business in Acre. The 42-
year-old mother of three rents space in a beauty salon and has a thriving clientele. Summer
is her busiest season. This summer, the war brought her to financial ruin.

“Everything was just awful,” says Levana painfully. “My son was in the army. The rest of the
family was crowded in a bomb shelter. My husband and I had no income. I don’t know what
we would have done without the support of our families.”

The five people who were killed when a Katyusha rocket fell in Acre lived close to Levana. It
is difficult for her to think back to that time.

When the war ended, Levana’s 10-year-old son was suffering from trauma, and Levana
needed to get her business back on its feet. She heard about the Jewish Agency’s grant for
small businesses and immediately applied.

A week later her daughter screamed from the mailbox that a check from the Jewish Agency
arrived. Levana received approximately $1000.

“I told all my clients about the letter and the check. They all thought I was talking about a
loan. They could not believe that it was a grant that I didn’t have to repay.”

Some 2,600 small business owners like Levana, who suffered severe financial setbacks as a
result of the war, are receiving emergency funds from the Jewish Agency. Some 40% of the
recipients are from non-Jewish populations.

www.jewishagency.org
Equipping Public
Bomb Shelters

Lanna Zohar

“I have four small children under the age of 11.

It was impossible for us to continue living under
such horrible conditions in the bomb shelter.
There was no air circulating and it was stifling.
The heat was unbearable.”
 Lanna Zohar grew up in Hatzor Haglilit, a small town only thirty kilometers (18 miles) from
the Lebanese border. A few years ago she moved to a new house on the other side of town.
In the first days of the war, a Katyusha rocket severely damaged her home. Lanna took her
four young children and went to live with her sister.

When the sirens went off and everyone ran to the public bomb shelter, Lanna was appalled
at the conditions. “The shelters had not been used in years. The conditions were absolutely
terrible,” says Lanna.

Her neighbor, Shimon Mor Yossef, agrees. “I fought in most of Israel’s wars. I remember
only too well the first Lebanese War in 1982, when Hatzor Haglilit came under fire from
Katyushas. But this is worse; we never had to withstand such sustained confinement. The
shelters are very small, and unbearably warm in the heat of the day. People yearned to go
outside and breathe fresh air, but unfortunately learned how dangerous it was.”

The Jewish Agency for Israel answered the urgent needs of residents like Lanna and
Shimon, installing close to 2000 air-condition units, 1,600 televisions, 2,700 emergency
lighting fixtures, 50 chemical toilets, 150 water coolers and 30 water pumps in bomb
shelters throughout the northern region. Over 2,700 bomb shelter kits were distributed to
disadvantaged families. These kits included sanitary items, cleaning products, games, fans,
electric kettle and emergency lighting.

www.jewishagency.org
Support for New Immigrants
During the War

Brenda
Woodward
“We made aliyah on July 9th. Three days later
we found ourselves on the front line of a war.
It was terrifying. But at the Carmiel Absorption
Center we were all protected and cared for by the
incredible staff. We came together like a family
and never thought of leaving.”
 Brenda Woodward (43) and her husband Tony lived in East London, South Africa. There were
a total of 90 Jewish people in the city. With the dramatic increase in crime and the failing
economy, Brenda and Tony wanted a better future for their teenage daughter Kaeleigh.

“We had never been to Israel, but we decided to make aliyah,” says Brenda. “I did my
research on the Internet. When I saw the Carmiel Absorption Center, in such a beautiful
location, I decided that this was where we would begin our new lives.”

Three days after they arrived, the second Lebanon war started and the Woodward family
was on the front line. “It was absolutely terrifying at first,” says Brenda. “But the staff at the
absorption center was with us all the time. They told us what to do and made sure that we
ran for the bomb shelter the minute the sirens went off.”

A total of seventy new immigrants from all over the world remained at the absorption
center throughout the war. “We were like one big family,” says Brenda. “We ate our meals
together and spent hours in the underground bomb shelter. We didn’t lack for anything.”

“The Jewish Agency was fantastic. They took us on day trips to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. They
provided great entertainment in the bomb shelter; clowns, musicians, celebrities and a
disco that was fun for everyone.”

“Our desire to stay in Israel and our connection to the country and the people became even
stronger during the war,” says Brenda. “We’re here to stay together with the Jewish people –
our people.”

www.jewishagency.org