In the wake of the October 7^th attacks, UJA launched an Emergency Appeal for the People of Israel. Every dollar raised is being directed to NGOs in Israel, working in partnership with our team on the ground to identify changing needs and ways we can make the greatest impact. Our partners, including in Israel’s longstanding partner city of Sderot, have made it clear that they need Toronto’s support for a long-term recovery. With this in mind, grants are being made in a phased approach, with the first wave of funding dedicated to urgent needs and subsequent phases focusing on recovery and rebuilding in southern Israel as conditions permit.

As of October 30, 2024, $60.095 million in emergency grants have been issued. For transparency, the full list of grants may be found below.

• A fund supporting the long-term recovery and rehabilitation of Sderot. $20 million (via the Sderot Foundation, with an extraordinary $1.8 billion in additional matching funds secured through partners) for crucial initiatives over the next six to seven years in the areas of education, mental health, community resilience, and leadership development. Our partners are advancing a comprehensive plan to help residents return to the city and surrounding communities to build a stronger regional future. Given the magnitude of this investment, UJA’s Israel & Overseas Committee will retain control over the fund and strategically select initiatives to support, enabling us to steward donor dollars and ensure we make an outsized impact in the years ahead. 
• Building the next generation of leaders who will revitalize southern Israel. $4.1 million (via MAOZ South and $4.95 million of additional matching funds through partners) to train 500 leaders who will spearhead 45 of the most important initiatives to strengthen the south and its economy over the next three years. The quality of civil society leaders at the forefront of southern Israel’s recovery will be vital to making the entire country stronger than it was before October 7th. With this critical grant, the south will 
• Direct aid to victims of terrorism and traumatized communities. $4 million (via The Jewish Agency for Israel) to provide rapid payments to more than 2,000 families victimized by terror. In addition, $1.5 million (in partnership with the City of Sderot) will assist 1,000 vulnerable families who are traumatized in our devastated partner city. 
• ⁠Humanitarian aid for Israelis sheltering across the country. $2.9 million (in partnership with the HESEG Alumni Association) to distribute necessities for the tens of thousands of Israelis who have been evacuated from Gaza border areas and are being housed in private homes or community facilities elsewhere. With many traumatized and having fled their homes with very little, having access to mattresses, bedding, housewares, and essential supplies will enable them to shelter with some comfort and normalcy.
• Trauma and emotional first aid. $2.75 million (via Sderot Resilience Center) to fund mental health professionals to provide emergency support to devastated residents.
• ⁠Establishing a regional data centre for the Western Negev municipalities. $2.38 million (via the Western Negev Cluster, with $3.99 million in additional matching funds through partners) for a five-year plan to build a data centre, which will provide the 11 municipalities of the Western Negev Cluster with shared data collection and database management. This research—and the insights it provides—is critical for helping regional leaders best understand the evolving needs of residents after October 7th, strengthening local services for 300,000 residents, and putting in place policies and initiatives that will help the Western Negev recover and flourish. 
• ⁠Helping victims of war get back to work. $2 million (via the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee [JDC], with $11.7 million in additional matching funds through partners) for services to assist 1,000 evacuees and other victims of war, 450 newly disabled Israelis, and 250 other clients in eight communities. The majority of those currently not able to work do not have a post-secondary education and were among the first to lose their jobs when the war began. JDC’s emergency employment initiative, Getting Victims of War Back to Work, connects vulnerable evacuees and other war-affected job seekers with jobs in Israel's north and south through counselling, trauma relief, training, and guided job placement. It also assists local economies to build back their strength, which will help Israel’s south as it recovers.  
• ⁠Critical services for evacuees from Sderot and other Israeli communities near Gaza. $1.5 million (via The Jewish Agency) to provide a range of urgent services for those who have taken shelter in Israel’s southernmost regions far from Gaza. This includes mental health supports, schooling for children, medical services, and community and social programs for evacuees. With 60,000+ sheltering in host communities in the far south, the daily needs are far beyond the local capacity.
• Revolutionizing Israel’s mental health system for the long term. $1,300,000 (in partnership with the Jewish Federations of Chicago and Houston, Jewish Federations of North America, and Israel’s Ministry of Health) to establish 16 intensive mental health care intervention centres across the country for patients in need. The centres will be staffed by professional therapy teams specializing in a wide range of treatments for those suffering from trauma, including evacuees and terror victims.
• ⁠Establishing a training centre and laboratory for educational innovation and regional educational entrepreneurship. $1.17 million (via the Western Negev Cluster, with $566,000 in additional matching funds through other partners) over the next three years to establish a training centre to help transform education in the 11 municipalities of the Western Negev Cluster. The centre will enable training, support, and build a strong network of 6,000 teachers from 185 schools in the region, ensuring schools are better positioned to serve the vulnerable students of the region. 
• ⁠Higher-quality services through the Tkuma (“Revival”) Administration, to rebuild and strengthen the Gaza border communities. $1.03 million (via the JDC, with $2.84 million in additional matching funds through partners) to improve services for 100,000 residents. As massive investments are poured into the Gaza border communities to rebuild and renew these areas, local authorities need more support to meet the increased workload. This investment will provide a blueprint for the recovery and development work and help local authorities manage the process for revitalizing these communities. This includes but is not limited to supporting the recruitment process for key staff who will enable new public construction, while also meeting the need for more local teachers and mental health professionals. 
• ⁠Emergency preparedness for the communities of northern Israel. $1 million (via the JDC, with $13 million in additional matching funds through other partners) for preparedness measures to support Israel’s northern communities amid mass displacement and the ongoing threat from Hezbollah. In partnership with UJA, JDC’s plan includes a two-stage approach that will be rolled out in 16 northern municipalities. It offers immediate community outreach to establish personal connections and distribute emergency kits, followed by direct assistance in case of an escalation, with flexible funding for local authorities to swiftly address specific needs. This proactive plan will elevate the preparedness of the region’s most vulnerable—including older adults, people with disabilities, and at-risk families—at this difficult and unpredictable time. 
• ⁠Partnership with Sderot for long-term recovery. $1 million over three years (via The Jewish Agency) to create and fund initiatives to support the rehabilitation of Sderot. Through this effort, Toronto will play a key role in a global partnership between Diaspora communities and specific Israeli towns and villages devastated by the October 7th attacks.
• ⁠Establishing nine new student villages in the Western Negev. $900,000 (via Kedma, with $7.98 million in additional matching funds through partners) for a three-year allocation to attract and retain young adults and families who will help revitalize the region. Kedma offers hundreds of young Israelis a unique opportunity to live on and contribute to the development of Israel and its border communities. These new student villages will serve thousands of residents in these hard-hit areas, helping them to heal and recover. 
• ⁠Strengthening mental health infrastructure for the children of Sderot. $872,350 (In partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Education, the Sderot Municipality, and the government’s Tkuma Administration) to provide new mental health and trauma supports for students in Sderot’s schools. We will create 20 new therapeutic spaces where students will have access to therapists and healing activities that will help them build resilience and overcome trauma.
• ⁠Building a better future for the youth of Sderot through City at the Centre Sderot 2.0. $750,000 (in partnership with the Rashi Foundation, being matched by an additional $4.5 million through other partners) to build on the past success of the City at the Center for which UJA collaborated with the Rashi Foundation and Sderot Municipality. This initiative supports local services in early childhood development, English as a spoken language, vocational training, economic development, and meaningful education for teens. In the 2.0 version of the program, we will help develop much-needed adaptations and new practices in all the mentioned areas of work, so the children and youth of Sderot can recover and overcome their trauma and emerge stronger than ever. 
• ⁠Emergency purchases of food, baby products, and medical equipment for evacuated Israelis. $250,000 (via Brothers and Sisters for Israel) and $500,000 (via Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank) to provide urgently needed food and essentials for evacuees from Gaza border communities now located in the Eilot/Eilat area.
• ⁠Building capacity to maximize the impact of the Emergency Appeal for the People of Israel. $200,000 (via UJA Israel & Overseas) to support measurement and evaluation of the impact of Israel emergency fund allocations—and enabling more effective and impactful Israel emergency allocations in the future—as well as enhanced operational and logistical support for UJA’s presence in the region. 
• ⁠Protective equipment and emergency kits for first responders. $175,000 (in partnership with the City of Sderot) and $500,000 (via Magen David Adom) for trauma medical kits, as well as helmets and armour-plated vests to protect from rockets and other attacks, to be used by paramedics, social workers, and resilience staff.
• Evacuation of Israelis living with disabilities from communities near Gaza. $660,000 (via Shalva) to help with the relocation of 1,500 evacuees with special needs, providing essential supplies, medication, clothing, and physical and emotional care.
• Airlift of donated medical supplies and other essential goods. $630,000 (via UJA Federation) to airlift approximately 42 tons of basic medical supplies and essentials donated by our community through UJA Genesis’ emergency drive.
• Essential supplies for Israelis from the Gaza border area sheltering in host communities. $500,000 (in partnership with the Eilot Regional Council) to fund water, food, clothing, medicine, baby products, generators, and other needed supplies for those evacuated from the war zone.
• Equipment to aid in the recovery, identification, and burial of victims. $500,000 (via ZAKA) for protective gear, body bags, and rescue and recovery equipment for the process of ensuring those murdered in terror attacks can receive a proper burial. Since the Hamas attacks, ZAKA volunteers have recovered hundreds of bodies under horrific conditions.
• Life-saving emergency supplies for emergency medics. $500,000 (via United Hatzalah) for vital items, such as trauma first-aid kits, tourniquets, defibrillators, and protective gear. United Hatzalah is a volunteer emergency medical service, with many of their 6,500 medics across Israel serving as first responders and saving lives throughout the recent attacks.
• Assistance for elderly Israelis living in isolation under rocket fire. $500,000 (via the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) to provide community workers who locate and care for vulnerable seniors living within 20 km of Gaza. This ensures those who are isolated and lacking other sources of aid receive continual check-ins, emotional support, and access to essential services.
• Medical equipment for advanced, emergency treatment. $500,000 (via Sourasky Medical Center—Ichilov) to support treatment for wounded Israelis. As one of Israel’s most advanced hospitals, Ichilov receives patients who require complex surgeries—combined with trauma psychological care—and have been transferred from smaller hospitals in southern Israel.
• Summer camp for the youth of Sderot. $500,000 (via Summer Camps Israel) to enable 1,000 children and teens from this traumatized city to participate in a ten-day, overnight summer camp program. Summer Camps Israel has a unique connection to our community, having been established by the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation—a Canadian organization.
• Trauma and psychological training for frontline workers. $500,000 (via the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) to equip social workers, teachers, caregivers, and medical staff to provide trauma relief and psychological support to those who are acutely at-risk.
• Assistance to vulnerable Holocaust survivors and other seniors in areas threatened by rocket fire. $445,000 (via Amigour) for aid workers to provide direct support to this uniquely at-risk population, including through food packages, check-ins from professional staff, respite programs, and psychological counselling. 
• Supporting the needs of displaced residents. $400,000 (via United Israel Appeal—Canada in partnership with The Jewish Agency) for essential supplies and services for residents of Sderot and the Gaza border region who are now sheltering in Eilat/Eilot and Bat Yam. As the war continues, the needs of evacuees continue to grow. These funds will help evacuees access the full range of supports needed, such as educational and social programs, as well as mental health and employment services. It will also support the purchase of school supplies and laptops needed for school or work.
• Education for displaced teens. $400,000 (via Unistream) for the development of the Safe Haven Complex, which offers interactive stations with AI and science programming to engage youth from the Gaza border region currently sheltering elsewhere in the country.
• Rehabilitation for the injured. $400,000 (via Beit HaLochem) to provide services such as hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, therapeutic devices, specialized sports equipment, and programming for those wounded in acts of terrorism or recovering from wounds post-military discharge.
• Post-trauma support for victims of terror. $400,000 (via One Family Fund) to operate support groups for victims of terror, providing personalized therapy and daily psychological assistance for those who have experienced unimaginable trauma.
• Psychiatric services for Sderot teens. $350,000 (via the Sderot Resilience Center) to provide free psychiatric support to 300 local teens struggling with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
• Necessities for at-risk families. $324,000 (via Latet) to provide kits of food and other winter supplies for 4,000 vulnerable families affected by the war.
• Recovery planning for devastated Gaza border communities. $275,000 (via the Western Negev Cluster) to support mid- and long-term rehabilitation efforts, which are essential to enabling residents to return to these communities with confidence in their future.
• Financial aid for families of hostages. $250,000 (via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum) to provide 46 families of hostages with one month of financial aid, as many are currently unable to work and are fully focused on global advocacy efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.
• Transitional education for evacuated children. $216, 000 (via IsraAID) to operate a transitional learning centre for evacuated students from the Gaza border region, ensuring educational and psychological care for this highly vulnerable population.
• Food relief for vulnerable Israelis.$200,000 (via Jerusalem Food Rescue) to scale up its capacity to rescue surplus food from local vendors and distribute it to families struggling with food insecurity. This investment will enable Jerusalem Food Rescue to distribute, on a weekly basis, at least nine tons of produce that would otherwise be thrown out.
• Veteran-to-veteran support and recovery assistance. $200,000 (via Brothers for Life) to provide critical medical support to wounded Israelis who have been discharged from military service, including medical devices, PTSD counselling, and mentorship.
• Technology to assist resilience centres to cope with the massive growth in clients. $200,000 (via Hilma) to develop technology to allow clients to be automatically matched to services based on their unique needs. With the Eshkol Regional Council Resilience Center alone seeing an increase from 1,200 patients to 17,000 requests for help, this technology will be instrumental locally and nationally in ensuring those who need mental health first aid are able to access it quickly.
• Addictions and mental health support. $150,000 (via the Israel Centre of Addition) to provide mental health services for vulnerable Israelis—with a focus on PTSD, anxiety, addictions, and trauma—including a hotline and emergency psychological aid.
• Advocacy for the return of hostages. $150,000 (via the Raoul Wallenberg Centre in partnership with the Hostage and Missing Families Forum) to support the efforts of affected families to raise awareness about the hostages around the world.
• Emergency aid for young leaders who were based in the Gaza border communities of Kibbutz Sufa and Kibbutz Nir Oz. $150,000 (via Kedma) for trauma counselling, grants for urgent needs, and other essential supports for a cohort of young adults who were serving these communities, as part of the Kedma program, and have evacuated with virtually nothing. Like many Israeli villages along the Gaza border, Sufa and Nir Oz were targeted by Hamas terrorists for widespread massacre and destruction.