March 5, 2008 / 28 Adar I 5768

With the escalating deadly missile attacks on Sderot, the Gaza perimeter communities and now Ashkelon, the Jewish Agency, with the support of UJC-Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod, UIA Canada and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, continues its ongoing assistance to Israel's terrorized citizens.

Ten-year-old Osher Twito will never run on his own two legs again. Osher, and his older brother Rami, 19, went to the ATM machine in their hometown of Sderot to withdraw money to buy their father a birthday present. A Kassam rocket fell and critically wounded both boys. Osher's left leg was amputated, and the doctors worked around the clock to save his right leg.

Osher is a participant in the Jewish Agency's Youth Futures program, an innovative nationwide initiative for children at risk. When news of Osher's injury reached the Youth Futures director in Sderot, Jewish Agency personnel, including director general Moshe Vigdor, went into action to assist the family emotionally and financially.

Since the escalation of terror in southern Israel, including the bombing of the city of Ashkelon with longer range Grad rockets, the Jewish Agency is working 24/7 to provide beleaguered citizens, especially children, with ongoing support to alleviate the terror-filled days and nights.

With a special allocation of $400,000 from UJC-Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency took 6,000 third to twelfth graders on recreational and educational trips throughout Israel during February. The third through sixth graders spent an entire day away from the region, and seventh through twelfth graders were taken on overnight outings. Some 350 youth were also taken to the Israeli national basketball semi-finals in Tel Aviv. All of the trips were coordinated with Israel's Ministry of Education, and helped the children to leave the fear behind, if only for a short period.

Snir, a Sderot high school student in the Jewish Agency's Net@ program that trains youth from the periphery for high tech professions says, "There are no heroes in this affair. I can't leave the house because I am frightened. My friends don't go out either. The alarm often goes off several times a day and I am afraid to go outside in case the alarm sounds when I am nowhere near a shelter…This feeling of fear accompanies you at every moment because you know that it doesn't end."

In the past two months, the Jewish Agency has given immediate assistance in the amount of $1,000 to victims of the ongoing attacks from its S.O.S. Emergency Fund, part of the Fund for Victims of Terror. A total of $300,000 has been allocated from the Fund for the rising number of victims in the South.

The Kassam attacks have not stopped donors and Jewish Agency board members from showing solidarity with Sderot and the Gaza perimeter communities. On a recent visit, Ron Hirsch from New York went to the Friedmann Student Village Ibim and Sapir College, where he spoke with young immigrant students and congratulated them on their determination to continue their studies in spite of the danger. The Jewish Agency grants scholarships to 1,700 students studying at Sapir College.
 
During his visit to Sderot, a "red alert" was sounded and Ron and Ofer Baram from the Jewish Agency had ten seconds to run for cover. The Kassam rocket fell dangerously close to them, but in spite of this, Ron continued his visit.

Members of the Delegation with the Youth Futures Extended Family

A similar situation occurred when 21 delegates of the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors Israel Committee, spearheaded by Co-chair Jane Sherman, visited the Youth Futures program in Sderot. She felt it  necessary for the committee to view first hand Jewish Agency projects in the area, to listen to the residents of Sderot, and most importantly, “to come and give support to the people of the city.”
 
During their visit, while listening to a young Youth Futures participant explaining how the program changed her life, the "red alert" sounded, and  delegates and children rushed to a safe room.  A few short seconds later a loud explosion was heard. Word spread quickly that fellow Youth Futures participant, Yossi Haimov, who was not with the group, had been seriously injured.
 
The news affected everyone, but the delegates rallied the children to prepare food baskets (mishloach manot) for Purim and write get well cards to Osher Twito. Twice more, the activities were stopped as the alarm sounded and everyone was evacuated to the safe room. "It is unbelievable what these people are going through," said delegate Larry Joseph.

In additional developments, Chairman of the Jewish Agency Zeev Bielski visited Sderot on March 3rd, and declared that the Jewish Agency will give preference to suppliers and businesses in Sderot and the Gaza perimeter communities, in order to help support local businesses.
 
The Israel Soccer Association has donated 3,500 tickets to the Jewish Agency to bring  children and youth from Sderot, the Gaza perimeter and Ashkelon to attend a soccer game against Chile at the national Ramat Gan stadium in another two weeks.

The Jewish Agency is now working to assess needs in Ashkelon and raise funds to support assistance projects for the city during this critical time.