Fundraising for an emergency campaign for Israel is still going strong 10 weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack that killed 1,200 people and saw 244 taken hostage.
Shortly after the Oct. 7 attack, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore launched the Emergency Fund for Israel at War to support Israelis. The Baltimore community banded together in support of the Jewish state, raising millions of dollars, according to The Associated.
“As a unified Baltimore community, we have raised $13.5 million — $5 million for our Israel at War Emergency Campaign and $8 million from collaborative fundraising with local Jewish organizations, foundations and synagogues,” said Ruth Miller, chief planning officer for The Associated.
Funds are being directed toward humanitarian needs in Israel.
Ashkelon, a city close to Gaza, has been the largest beneficiary of The Associated’s support.
“We are in our 20th year of partnership with Ashkelon as a sister city,” Miller said. “They are incredible people, and one of our key strategies is strengthening and nurturing Jewish life.”
Ashkelon has received $2.8 million to date, with the funds being directed toward safety, evacuation and support, emergency medical assistance, trauma relief, mental health and education.
“This support of Ashkelon on an ongoing basis is one of our key strategies for strengthening and nurturing Jewish life,” Miller said.
The Associated’s annual fundraising campaign, which is separate from the Israel at War campaign, also supports initiatives in Ashkelon and Israel. Because The Associated had support already in place, it was able to respond quickly to the Oct. 7 attack and the ongoing Israel-Hamas War.
“It’s one of the reasons we have the infrastructure so solid and so in place, that when it comes to a time of emergency, we are able to respond quickly,” Miller said.
Israeli organizations receiving funds from Baltimore include Brothers and Sisters for Israel, a civilian aid agency; Dror Israel, which is providing crucial support to children who were evacuated from the border areas near Gaza and Lebanon; Emergency Volunteer Project, which recruits and trains first responders; Israel Trauma Coalition, which does emergency preparedness and trauma response work; The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, which cares for the most vulnerable individuals; and the Jewish Agency for Israel, which provides financial aid to victims and their families.
“Our partners in Israel have pointed to widespread humanitarian needs,” Miller said. “This includes food, medicine, shelter, trauma counseling, triage and emergency supplies.”
This is not the first time that The Associated has done a large-scale emergency campaign. For example, the emergency campaign for Ukraine has been in place since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Still ongoing, the campaign supports Ukraine, including Baltimore’s sister city, Odessa.
The emergency campaign for Israel has historic significance.
“The Israel campaign is unprecedented in the way the community has come together on that,” Miller said. “The Baltimore community is very generous.”
On a national level, The Jewish Federations of North America has raised more than $710 million in its post-Oct. 7 fundraising, and a portion of the dollars have come from Baltimore. This campaign was launched with a $500 million goal.
The $242 million that it has allocated so far is going to 300 partnering organizations, including the Jewish Agency for Israel, United Hatzalah, Magen David Adom, ZAKA Search and Rescue and Chabad.
The funds will be divided, as needed, between urgent humanitarian needs, such as medical supplies and equipment and housing, and longer-term rebuilding and rehabilitation, ranging from constructing homes and infrastructure to trauma counseling.
“We continue to identify needs,” Miller said. “One critical need is trauma services, and so we are planning right now how we might continue fundraising for specific needs like that.”
While the emergency campaign is ongoing, donors have also continued to give to the annual campaign, Miller said. The Associated’s annual campaign raises funds for The Associated’s operations in the upcoming fiscal year.
“We continue to do actually very well with our annual fundraising. We have loyal donors who understand the ongoing needs, both here in Baltimore and in Israel and around the world,” Miller said.
“We have seen an incredible outpouring of generosity and caring during this time, so our annual campaign is thriving,” she continued. “We’re not done. We have a way to go, and we want to invite everyone to participate. We are incredibly blessed in this community with that kind of commitment from community members.”
