In time of war, leaders are reminded of impact of Diaspora philanthropy

by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

When Leah Todres and Andrea Alexander traveled to Israel last month, they expected to see how Jewish federations were meeting the ongoing challenges of the Jewish state.

The trip became something more: an opportunity to experience first-hand how those challenges are growing in light of the war on Hizbullah in the country’s north.

From July 9 to 17, Jewish leaders representing more than 50 communities traveled to Israel and Ukraine on the United Jewish Communities 2006 Campaign Chairs and Directors Mission.

Among the 167 mission participants were Todres, a Marlboro resident and president of Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County, and Alexander, director of the federation’s Manalapan office, who lives in North Brunswick.

When the group landed in Tel Aviv on July 12, they learned about the situation that had erupted in the North. Their scheduled itinerary was not changed, and the group then went to Jerusalem, where they received a briefing from Nachman Shai of the UJC, who updated them on events in the North. They also met with Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who emphasized the need for Israel to defend its borders.

As the violence escalated, the group learned that their Jerusalem guide lives in Haifa, along with her three daughters, a grandson, and other family members. The city had become a daily target for Hizbullah rockets.

“She shared her feelings with us and showed amazing strength,” Alexander said. “She was a prime example of the resiliency of the Israeli people. She continued to do her job with us, while her family was under threat in Haifa.”

While in Jerusalem, the group also met two teens from the North who had spent the previous day in a crowded shelter, where the heat and anxiety resulted in a high level of discomfort, according to Alexander.

“One of them broke down and couldn’t speak for a while,” she said. “We also found out that one of them just had a birthday, while the other teen’s birthday was only a short time away. No one had wished them a happy birthday because of the crisis.

“Our hearts were breaking,” Alexander continued. “We celebrated both of their birthdays and experienced an overwhelming feeling of being one family with them.”

The mission traveled to the Negev, where the Ayalim project is building temporary housing for university students who go on to work with youth and others settling in the area, Todres said.

“We met with some of the students who were working on the construction,” she said. “They were like the pioneers of 1948. And these kids, along with another UJC representative we met in the Negev, said Israel will defend itself now and always.”

Rebirth of Judaism

The mission’s first stop was Odessa in Ukraine, where participants witnessed the city’s ongoing renaissance of Jewish life, Todres said. Children of high school age are taking advantage of educational programs and, in many instances, are teaching their parents what they’ve learned, she said.

The mission members also spent time in a week-long camp for teens run by the Jewish Agency for Israel. Many of the young people are planning to go to Israel through Taglit-birthright israel, Todres said.

“The thirst for ‘Jewishness’ was enormous,” said Todres. “The people in this region are eager to learn what it means to be a Jew. The rebirth of Judaism is a very welcome thing in their lives.”

While in Odessa, Todres and Alexander also visited elderly sisters Genya and Polya Prilutzkaya; both women are widows and receive welfare support, including food, medicine, medical equipment, and the assistance of a home health aide four times each week through Hesed Shaarey Zion, which is funded by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Throughout the trip, the group felt the impact of the federations and UJC, which, through JAFI and the JDC, provide services that can offer an immediate response to the needs of Israelis and Jews who still live in the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, and other locations, said Todres.

“Given the current situation, these services have an even greater impact,” she said. “Life goes on in Israel, even though friends and relatives have been lost and homes are being destroyed. But there is a strong feeling of solidarity; the Jewish people stand united, and we, as American Jews, should feel proud of what we are able to do to help.”