(Contributed by the Jewish Agency Spokesperson)
This week, The Jewish Agency for Israel will hold a special
Passover camp experience for some 100 children from southern Israel whose lives have been affected by rocket fire from Gaza and by other terror attacks. The program will be run by The Jewish Agency's Fund for Victims of Terror and funded by contributions from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and private donors.
During the camp experience, the children will engage in a range of activities, including field trips, sport challenges, archeological programs, therapeutic sessions in nature, group-building experiences, and leadership development programs.
The children will be under the care of teenage counselors, including Rami, a teenager from the predominantly Bedouin town of Rahat, whose family members were hurt by rocket fire from Gaza. Rami will be responsible for a group of Arabic-speaking children who will be participating in the camp experience. "It is important to me to help others integrate into the larger group and its activities, and to see them return from the camp with happy memories," he said.
The Jewish Agency's Fund for Victims of Terror—which is funded by contributions from the Jewish Federations of North America, individual Jewish Federations, philanthropic foundations, and donors from around the world—is meant to provide immediate and supplemental assistance to terror victims and their families. The Fund has provided tens of millions of shekels of assistance to thousands of families since its establishment. The Jewish Agency provides immediate financial assistance in the wake of rocket attacks and other terror incidents, in order to enable terror victims to address their most urgent needs. The Fund for Victims of Terror works closely with the Israel Ministry of Defense and the National Insurance Institute.