I would like to share with American Jews the sense of pride I feel as I contemplate the work of the Jewish Agency and its partners around the world since this summer’s Lebanon War. We are honored and privileged to have stood beside the government of Israel and the Jewish people to offer, on behalf of all, a helping hand to nearly every home and every family in the North.

Every minute of every day of our partnership is hard at work. Because life doesn’t stop. The needs don’t stop. Your caring and commitment do not stop. Together, we aspire to create a secure Jewish future. Now, that future is being threatened. The second Lebanese war created indescribable damage. Together, we can rebuild. The message to our enemies: We are not only here to stay, but we are investing in the future.

The damages in the North are vast and widespread. Businesses large and small are in financial ruin. Students who were called to active duty and were unable to work this summer cannot afford college tuition. Children and adults are suffering from postwar trauma. People are having trouble meeting their most basic needs.

The Jewish Agency will be a driving force in rebuilding the North. Initial estimated damages stand in excess of $1 billion, and this figure is only going to grow.

After extensive consultation with mayors and local authorities throughout the region, the offices of the Prime Minister and the Finance Ministry, the Jewish Agency is looking to four far-reaching responses for the “day after” to put every resident in the North on the road to recovery. The objective now should not be to return to the status quo, but rather to transform devastation into an opportunity, finally revitalizing and realizing the potential of this area of strategic priority for the State of Israel.

Economic development fund: Northern Israel is characterized by numerous small, privately owned businesses, many in both the tourism and agricultural areas. Some estimates identify as many as 90,000 small businesses that have been crippled by this war. Assisting them rebuild can provide the critical mass for increasing the number of job opportunities, fueling development and renewed economic growth.

Utilizing the infrastructure of the Jewish Agency’s successful Small Business Loan Fund Initiative, which we have operated for more than a decade with the support of a number of federations, we propose to create an unprecedented evergreen mega-loan fund to support economic recovery and growth throughout the North — and head off a serious recession.

The next generation: From crisis to excellence — At the Jewish Agency, the next generation is a primary focus of a majority of our work. When the war broke out, we immediately mobilized to establish emergency summer camps to get as many children as possible out of the line of deadly fire. The “day after” will be no different as we work to transition children and young people from crisis to not just recovery, but to excellence.

This will start with successfully moving children back to school. One of the key elements in moving youngsters from trauma to recovery is their reintegration into the formal and informal education systems.

One mother of two elementary school children who spent many days living in a bomb shelter said, “My children are now afraid to sleep at home, in their own beds. They jump whenever they hear a loud noise, and they refuse to talk about going back to school.”

The Jewish Agency is working to ensure that children going back to school have everything they need to succeed, helping them regain a sense of security and self-confidence, and making sure that they have basic school supplies that parents may not now be able to afford.

Utilizing our successful Youth Futures model and existing infrastructure in a highly personalized, community-wide approach, our emphasis will be on children and teens at risk, including immigrant children, children from families of low socioeconomic levels, and populations of minority children (Arabs and Druse).

Vital communal infrastructure: More than 1,000 Katyusha rockets slammed into the northern city of Kiryat Sh’mona during the war, injuring 25 residents and forcing more than 16,000 to leave. Physical damage to homes and public buildings was massive. And this is only one city. The entire northern region needs to be rebuilt.

Our goal is not only to rebuild, but to go beyond. At the end of the day, our objective is to create vibrant communities with a quality of life that exceeds that which was destroyed.

The Jewish Agency intends to create a major funding pool for capital projects and renovation throughout the North, utilizing the development expertise and infrastructure of both the Israel Education Fund — a capital project partnership of United Jewish Communities and the Jewish Agency — and our public housing developer.

Focus will be on two distinct areas: Repairing damage to existing public buildings, including libraries, community centers, day-care centers, homes for the elderly, youth clubs, sport and recreational halls, playgrounds, public parks, and synagogues, as well as building new buildings to enhance community life.

Through the advisory council of mayors, we will initiate a process to empower those leaders to identify the priorities for rebuilding and restoring life in their own communities.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the UJC and the Jewish federations in the United States, to Keren Hayesod and to Israeli donors, all who expressed their faith in us and our work and contributed generously.

The trust we are privileged to receive is the source of our strength, and is our motivation to continue and march forward at full speed to face the challenges of our future.