Support for Israel in the face of terror
Since the second intifada began in 2002, attacks upon Israel have continued.
In March of 2008, an Arab gunman murdered teenage students in the library of one of Israel’s most fabled Yeshiva.
See the video below.
(Please note: this video may be disturbing to some viewers.)
And incessant terrorist missile attacks on Southern Israel,
including the besieged town of Sderot, are ongoing.
(Click
Our Federation believes that only through building community coalitions
and other forms of concrete support will help our beloved Israel.
In this, Israel’s 60th year, we at your Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation
chose not to remain silent. We are proud to stand up for and advocate on
behalf of our people in Israel. Through our ongoing Israel@60 celebration,
through a wide range of programs and activities – including partnerships with
numerous Jewish and non-Jewish organizations – the Federation has helped
to bring out thousands of Jews and non-Jews to learn about, enjoy,
celebrate, and express support for Israel.
In addition, your Federation continues to fund a wide range of programs
that benefit victims of the current round of terror attacks.
Please read on for information on two such programs:
Empowering the Children of Sderot
Video:
"Red Color" - directed by Yoav Shoam
Red Color
Hurry hurry hurry because it’s dangerous
(running to a safe place)
My heart is beating – boom boom boom
(arms crossed – intermittently pounding on the chest as pronouncing the “boom” words)
My body is shaking – doom doom doom
(hands pounding intermittently on the legs as pronouncing the “doom” words)
But I am overcoming
(hands demonstrating strength – elbows bent and fists tight)
Cause I am a little bit different
Falling down – boom
(clapping hands as pronouncing the word “boom”)
We may now stand up
We shake our body - shake shake shake
(shaking the body and the hands)
We loosen our legs - loosen loosen loosen
(shaking legs forward)
We will breathe in deep
(deep inhalation)
We will blow out as far as possible
(exhalation)
We will breathe in deep
(again deep inhalation)
We can laugh
(releasing out laughter)
It’s all gone
(sliding palm to palm upwards and downwards as a clap)
And I feel good it’s over
(repeat)
Yesssss!
Restoring the lives of victims and their families
The financial assistance provided by the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Fund for the Victims of Terror is used to supplement assistance provided by the official institutions of the state of Israel, with the purpose of fulfilling crucial needs and improving the victims' quality of life.
Assistance is provided to the victims or to members of their families in the following fields:
- Medical equipment and assistance which is not provided by the State
- Rental assistance
- Basic furniture or home equipment
- Welfare
- Informal education and enrichment
- Tuition assistance
… and in any other way JAFI may deem worthy of assisting and which shows promise of restoring the victim to normal life – as much as possible.
Re-opened in 2002 by the Jewish Agency, with the support of the United Jewish Communities and Federations across North America (including the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation), Keren Hayesod, foundations and individual donors worldwide, the Fund for Victims of Terror responds to the dire need for individual assistance to Israeli citizens whose everyday lives have been terrorized during the Intifada and in the years since. Since its inception, the fund has assisted some 3,200 families – a total of 18,000 individuals, with total support reaching $20.5 million.
Click HERE for more on JAFI’s Victims of Terror Fund.
The Constant Fear of Rocket Attacks
Thousands of children in Sderot currently suffer from increasing effects of trauma due to the ongoing bombardment of Kassam rockets launched from the Gaza Strip. In 2007, thousands of Kassam rockets fell on Sderot. In 2008, the barrage continues.
The threat of immediate danger is a daily reality faced by the 22,000 residents of Sderot. The impact on children is enormous, and the number of children identified as suffering from anxiety and in need of long-term treatment is rising. The school day in Sderot is routinely interrupted each time the Red Color alarm is sounded. This is the alarm that warns the people of Sderot and the Gaza border region of an upcoming Kassam rocket attack.
The frantic rush to find cover and move to secure locations increases the children's anxiety and panic. Children become hysterical when they hear the alarm, often reacting through screaming, crying, physical expressions of anxiety and even freezing in place – unable to seek cover. In response, JDC has developed the Red Color program to help the children of Sderot cope with the stress of this terrible moment and its impact.
JDC's Red Color Program
The Red Color program is directed at preschoolers and young elementary school students, as well as their staff and parents. The program is centered around the Red Color song, which was created to provide the children with a more positive response to hearing the alarm and to turn that moment from one of fear to one of creative action. With the sounding of the alarm, caregivers and teachers are taught to lead the children with song and movement to the preschool/school's designated safe area. Singing the Red Color has enabled children to function properly in times of extreme stress and return to routine with minimal disruption. Positive effects have also been seen on other levels, with parents and staff saying that as a result of the song, children have become more open about their feelings and have increased self-confidence.
Staff and parents are also trained to identify children who, despite having been taught the Red Color song, are still showing severe signs of post-traumatic stress and in need of additional therapeutic interventions which the program can provide. Programming includes speech therapy, occupational therapy, art therapy and psychological services. In addition, training sessions are provided to the child's parents and caregivers/teachers.
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