OUR IMPACT
2024: Supporting Recovery for Nova Survivors
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The Nova Music Festival, with its theme of "friendship, love, and infinite freedom,” was attended primarily by young adults in their 20’s and 30’s who shared a love of music and expression. The Hamas attack on the festival on October 7th, 2023, resulted in the murder of 364 festival-goers and the kidnapping of 40 others, as well as hundreds of injuries, making it the largest massacre of civilians in Israel’s history.
For its fifth annual fundraising campaign, IAJF-NY Young Leadership Division (IAJF-YL) is raising money for the healing journey of the Tribe of Nova survivors. Due to the atrocities experienced and witnessed on October 7th and in its aftermath, thousands of festival attendees and their family members now require substantial emotional support and treatment to recover and once again become productive members of society.
Using a community-based approach, Tribe of Nova Foundation and Beit Nova, its healing center and memorial, will enable long-term recovery from trauma through programs designed to build resilience and post-traumatic growth, and will preserve the memories of those lost. IAJF-YL is proud to join the Tribe of Nova Foundation in ensuring "We will dance again.”
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Please support our young leaders in their efforts to support other young leaders. Click below to donate and note in the comments that your gift is for the 2024 IAJF-YL campaign.
2023: Helping At-Risk Youth Overcome Trauma
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IAJF-YL's fourth annual campaign supported innovative solutions and services for teens and young adults at risk through a distribution of $50,000 in emergency funds to ELEM/Youth in Distress. ELEM adjusted its programming mission at the outbreak of the war to meet the developing needs of their target population through Breathing Spaces in Netanya and Herzliya. These informal pop-up sites offer safe spaces and initial trauma therapy to teen refugees from the Gaza strip area and northern Israel. For these youth reluctant to utilize traditional therapy settings and already facing challenges, ELEM’s teams provide support for October 7th-related trauma, isolation, disruption of routine, and instability, as well as stress connected to IDF enlistment and uncertainty surrounding the return of refugees to their homes. IAJF-YL is honored to assist ELEM in strengthening these teens through this traumatic period.
2022: Empowering the Next Generation of Israeli Leaders
For its third annual fundraising campaign, IAJF-YL is raising money to benefit veterans of the 890th Paratrooper battalion of the elite infantry brigade, through the Adopt a Paratrooper Program of the 890 Foundation. Funds will support professional mentoring, academic scholarships, workshops for processing combat experiences, training of teams of PTSD first responders for vets, and support of lone soldiers.
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“Initiate, lead, make an example, and win” - Since 1950, the 890 Paratroopers’ alumni have been shaping, leading, and fighting for the state of Israel in every field. The foundation believes in the values of social responsibility and leadership. Involved in a wide range of meaningful projects such as education, employment for former combat soldiers, aid to lone soldiers, and physical and emotional treatments, the foundation supports and empowers the unit’s veterans and has a direct impact on thousands every year.
2021: Building Community for Israel’s Newest Young Leaders
IAJF Young Leadership dedicated its second annual campaign to providing Shabbat dinners for lone soldiers in Israel. Hosted by Nefesh B’Nefesh, Friday Night Shabbat dinners offer IDF lone soldiers an English-friendly, welcoming environment to help them feel connected and build community. IAJF-YL is proud that this campaign raised $40,000 for this important cause.
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Nefesh B’Nefesh is a non-profit that provides support and networking for immigrants to ensure successful integration into life as productive Israeli citizens. Their Lone Soldier Program (LSP) acts as the address for every lone soldier in Israel before, during, and after their service in the IDF, providing resources, emotional and professional support, and guidance for successful service and acclimation to life in Israel. Nefesh B’Nefesh has seen needs increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, as lone soldiers have been particularly vulnerable in a year of lockdowns, quarantine, and illness.
The Shabbat table is where generations upon generations of Jews have conversed, engaged, and shared a meal. It symbolizes the strength of our unity and tradition, and is a powerful generator of community. IAJF-YL has an incredible opportunity to not only create a transformative integrative platform, but to enable these immigrant soldiers to build relationships that unequivocally contribute to successful acclimation.
2020: Empowering Israeli Youth with Severe Disabilities
In 2020 IAJF’s Young Leadership Division launched its first-ever capital campaign. IAJF-YL dedicated its inaugural campaign in support of Aleh Negev (now known as ADI Negev) Rehabilitative Village for severely mentally and physically challenged children and youth in southern Israel. IAJF-YL is proud to announce that the campaign exceeded its goal and raised $26,000 for this beautiful cause.
Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran is a 25-acre, state-of-the-art rehabilitative village in Israel’s Negev region that offers unparalleled care for people with severe disabilities in a warm, dignified environment. IAJF is a proud supporter of Aleh, and our Young Leadership Division is excited to help sponsor the village’s Therapeutic Cafeteria.
The Therapeutic Cafeteria is the heart and soul of ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran’s Rehabilitative Day Center. Four days each week, two volunteers prepare nutritious, tasty lunches for staff, volunteers, and patients and their families. One day a week, students of the village’s Special Education School are in charge of food preparation, selling their products to cafeteria visitors at at-cost prices. Rehabilitation patients concentrating on fine motor coordination cut vegetables and knead and roll out dough while others practice communication skills as they interact with customers, sell goods, and take payment. Since the Covid-19 crisis broke, meals are also provided to the medical staff and people in need from the area.
IAJF-YL’s gift will enable the purchase of groceries and other goods, cafeteria supplies, and 100 annual occupational therapy sessions for rehabilitation patients.