Israeli and Palestinian relief efforts are underway worldwide, including in the D.C. region, after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s sudden attack over the weekend, which sparked retaliatory airstrikes in response and an ongoing war.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is leading the Israeli fundraising drive in the D.C. area.
“We’re using funds to help the victims of terror in Israel and to help those who lived through the trauma to make it through. There are also just ways to help by reaching out to people in Israel, if they know anyone, connecting to them, sending a note, posting their signs of support, any way to say that they stand with Israel and Israel is important right now,” said Gil Preuss, chief executive officer of the JFGW.
Preuss said donations will go directly to Israel to support the emergency response.
“The organizations on the ground in Israel need funds so they can expand,” Preuss said. “They need the resources to hire more therapists, to rebuild homes, to make sure that … the thousands of people who are displaced from their homes have a place to go now and for the next several months.”
It’s not uncommon for many fundraising efforts to pop up in times of crisis when donors’ help is needed and donors’ hearts are full of sympathy. Preuss recommended that people donate to known, established groups.
“There are a lot of organizations. I would go with trusted ones that people are familiar with, not new ones that just show up in the middle of the night,” Preuss warned. “There are many trusted organizations: us, Friends of the IDF, United Hatzalah — they all do great work. But, it’s key now just to engage and to be part of this and make a difference.”
A Stand With Israel rally is scheduled Friday at 12:15 p.m. at Freedom Plaza at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW for those who want to come out and show their support.
Another organization based in D.C. called Anera is working to raise money to support humanitarian aid for Palestinians. Donations will be used to provide blood bags, hygiene kits, medicine and food to families in war-torn Gaza, as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“As a D.C. resident, it is heartening to see my neighbors looking to support urgent humanitarian relief. The situation in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe,” Anera President and CEO Sean Carroll said.
The organization said an $80 donation can provide a hygiene kit to two displaced families and $100 can provide a displaced family a food parcel that will meet their nutritional needs for seven to 10 days.
“We’ve been based in D.C. since our founding 55 years ago and have offices in Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank. Our staff there are from the communities we serve, so the last week has been very hard personally and professionally,” Carroll said. “It means so much to see support pouring in from humanitarian-minded people in our local community, and from around the world.”
