As you may know, CJP has been supporting many important emergency endeavors in Israel since the Oct 7th, 2023 attack as part of Phase I and Phase II of the CJP Israel Emergency Response. Here is the link for background: https://ma.cjp.org/israel-emergency-fund-where-your-support-goes. I recently had the honor of being part of a very important and impactful CJP Innovation mission to Israel as a follow up to all the emergency aid so far. This particular mission was to look at organizations requesting support that had outsized impact and also were new emerging organizations started by business people turned social entrepreneurs, many from Israel’s high-tech “Start-up Nation” cohort. I traveled with a group of 25 amazing people representing CJP professionals and community members from a wide range of experiences (entrepreneurs, innovators, community leaders, business owners, family foundation leaders and clergy) wonderfully lead by our Co-chairs Michael Bohnen and Rebecca Leventhal. The purpose and mission were very clear and the tone resonated very much with me – we were to use a holistic approach using head, heart, and hands to guide us on how to recommend to CJP’s Israel Emergency Fund (“IEF”) committee regarding the best use of approximately $25 million to help Israel’s new approach to Build Back Better. The mission seemed very simple when we were first briefed. We were to meet with 12 organizations that would present their pitches and we were to listen, ask questions, and make notes/grade each organization on a very well-articulated rubric (Ability to Meet Need, Opportunity to be Transformational, Demonstrates Innovation, Strong Leadership, Path to Sustainability, and Manageable/Worthy Risks). It was not so easy. No worthy mission ever is.
I was in Israel just about over a year ago on CJP’s Spark trip to celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary of becoming a State. I found my visit last month very different. People in Israel are of course worried about the future security of the country and are desperate for the hostages to be released. I did notice the normally “tough” Israeli mentality to be more open and vulnerable. In the many times I have been to Israel, I do not think anyone ever said thank you for coming to Israel from America. This time it was different. Israelis were very appreciative of us being there (and this was from people that did not know I was on a mission that was tied to funding) and they were very open to communicating how Oct 7th had affected them and their families. Especially how trauma and mental health concerns are on a big rise and how the citizenry is ready to deal with these challenges. This was different since my experience in the past had always been that Israelis communicated and presented as being tough and undeterred. This concept of being vulnerable but hopeful resonated throughout all the organizations we met during the week.
As soon as you arrive to Israel, front and center is what is a national priority- getting all the hostages back to their families. Every hostage’s picture and short bio is listed along the walk way to customs. There is an entire center in Tel Aviv now that support the families, advocacy, marketing/communications, financial assistance, etc. for families of the hostages. It is called The Hostages and Missing Families Forum and has funding from CJP https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/
And let there be no doubt that Israel’s citizens are always ready for any possible attack. It is a way of life. Some areas in Israel have more time to respond than others based on their proximity to hostiles areas. Some could have 2 min to get to a shelter some could have 25 seconds from the time a siren sounds.
The mission started fast and furious so there was no time to really contemplate the lack of sleep on the EL AL flight from Boston to Tel Aviv. We were met by local leaders to give us a briefing on what the status of the populace, how they were feeling and the significant trauma that was shared throughout the country including the distrust in the Government’s ability to provide security. It reminded me a lot on how we all felt in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks. We could not believe such an intelligence failure could have happened and why the government did not protect us. And could they protect us in the future? An especially poignant brief was from Retired LT Colonel Jonathan Conricus (IDF RET) https://www.fdd.org/team/lt-col-ret-jonathan-conricus/ . You may have seen him on CNN when he was on active duty as a communication correspondent for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). He was very clear based on his many years of service that stability cannot happen in Israel until Iran is held accountable by the international community for all their acts of terrorism and that of their proxies in the region. It was great to meet him.
Over the next 3 days, our group set out to listen, question and experience what 12 NGOs (Non-government Organizations /Non-profits) proposed as essential next steps to Build Back Better. The causes/organizations were divided in the following 4 categories: Mental Health (2), Community-Specific Rehabilitation (3), Economic Relief (3), and Supporting the Most Vulnerable Populations (4) and all had strong leadership track records, offered innovative intervention models, and proposed ecosystem transformation in keeping with the Build Back Better concept. All the presentations were heart-wrenching as each organization had lives at stake. Some immediate, some intermediate, and some longer term. We all agreed we wanted to say yes to all of them (The Heart), but we needed to also be mindful of supporting the most impact (The Mind) and the proposals had to be actionable (The Hand). I could write about all 12 of them (in volumes) and instead will focus on the ones that really resonated with me because I’m a father and a U.S. Veteran.
In my 22 years in the U.S. Navy, one thing is certain in my experience – War is hell for all involved and those on the frontline, their families, and innocent civilians in the path of war suffer the most. In Israel there is not the same level of support for injured soldiers (whether physical or mental) as we have in the U.S. Even though our VA system has a long way to go, it does have programs to treat the injured and assist their families with support. Given the large number of injured soldiers in Israel you can only imagine the huge need. Within the category of “Supporting the Most Vulnerable Populations” the following two organizations brought it home for me:
Brothers for Life: https://www.brothersforlife.com/– Israel’s Wounded Warrior Program- offers comprehensive support including financial, social, employment, medical, etc. I have been involved personally in many Veteran causes in the U.S. One event that has always been very impactful has been the work I have been doing with Brothers for Life and Local US Wounded Warriors. I’m on the board of the Greater Boston Veterans Collaborative https://www.collaborate.vet/. Every year 10 Israeli wounded soldiers come to Massachusetts and they get to meet 10 other U.S. wounded warriors at Gillette Stadium thanks to the generosity of the Kraft family. It is a powerful 2 hours when they get to talk about their injuries and form bonds. One of the best parts of the mission was for me to visit for the first time their complex near Ben Gurion Airport and meet recovering soldiers/families and some of the leadership I have been friends with for years.
Israeli Children’s Fund (ICF): https://www.israelichildrensfund.org/ – The brief by their CEO Lior Krengel was a big tear jerker as just that morning before her brief two parents had been blown up by Hezbollah rockets in the north of Israel leaving more children orphaned. There are over 400 Israeli children from 199 families that have lost at least one parent as a result of this war – and the number is anticipated to grow. Of these victims, 82% lost their primary breadwinner fathers, many witnessed brutal killings, endured hiding, lost other relatives, friends, and some were taken hostage by Hamas. Israeli Children’s Fund is a new entity founded by Lior Krengel, who prior to turning her attention to war response was active in the Israeli innovation and tech industry. ICF will provide $200,000 per child in this vulnerable population to support their resiliency through adulthood.
Tribe of Nova Foundation: https://www.tribeofnova.com/ – Within 24 hours of the attack on 3,800+ Nova Festival attendees, the community’s founders established an emergency emotional support facility to help members overcome their unimaginable trauma. The organization has not stopped convening survivors and their families, and families of murdered victims as well, for the Tribe of Nova’s non-clinical healing program and services. Tribe of Nova leaders are requesting funding for the establishment of “Beit Nova,” a permanent center for service and programming for this community of survivors. In my experience very specific tragedy support groups work through a shared bond in loss. I have seen it for survivors of 9-11, the Marine families of those lost in the US Marine Barracks in Lebanon 1983, and the USS Cole attack in Yemen in 2000.
Within the Mental Health category of need I was very much moved by the work of Bshvil Hamachar (On the Path to Tomorrow): https://friendsofbshvil.org/ . Bshvil Hamachar mitigates the onset of PTSD in Israeli combat reservists returning from war. The IDF estimates that 95,000 active-duty soldiers and reservists will require mental health support and therapy delivery to process their traumatic experiences of war in Gaza and the Northern Front. Bsvhil runs early intervention therapy programs in a peer-to-peer setting that help combat units recover from their time of duty. At every presentation of the organizations, a participant on the mission was asked to introduce the organization before their pitch. I had the honor of introducing them and thanks to CJP for picking me for I know what PTSD can do to our war fighters if not treated. We owe them the proper care for their sacrifice. I’m pictured here with their brave leadership team. We would give them all a Boston/Israel Strong t-shirt.
Last but certainly not least, within the category of Economic relief I found the following organization’ plan extremely impactful: PLACE-IL https://place-il.org/ was established by Israeli high-tech executives (entrepreneurs, CEOs, development and technology leaders, multinational companies, investors, and venture capital funds. The program is designed to solve three major barriers that prevent high-tech companies from recruiting candidates from underrepresented populations on a significant scale: (1) a scattered and unsystematic supply of candidates (coming from academia, training organizations, and non-profit organizations); (2) the screening and recruitment methods of the companies that miss the potential interest in candidates from underrepresented populations- mostly are only recruiting Israelis that were in Intelligence units; (3) a minority of junior positions – intended for candidates without any work experience in high-tech.
Place-IL launched an effort to create local employment opportunities for the residents of the Western Negev, including both Jews and Arabs, in high-tech companies without requiring them to make a daily trip to the center of the country. They have secured funds from the government, tech partners and foundations. This was amazing to me. Imagine that the attack on Oct 7th can actually bring more inclusion as companies strive to Build Back Better. Their CEO Idan Tendler is quite impressive and knows how to start up new ventures https://place-il.org/about/ . This initiative will also shift tech work that is exclusively centered in Tel Aviv to the south where there will be more cost-effective housing.
In between all the pitches we did get to experience and learn from some of the work CJP has already been funding. One of the more impressive projects is Kibbutz Re’im Towers in Tel Aviv. Kibbutz Re’im in Southern Israel was the site of the music festival (Nova) that was the primary target of the Hamas attack on October 7. The residents of Kibbutz Re’im displayed immense courage, resisting Hamas militants for more than seven hours until reinforcements arrived. The 430 surviving kibbutz members temporarily relocated to a hotel in Eilat, with nothing but the clothes they wore. Money from CJP’s Israel Emergency Fund provides temporary housing in Tel Aviv for all 430 kibbutz members, along with essential items (such as clothing and furniture), and a communal space in Tel Aviv for Re’im residents to gather for activities. The CJ grant provides much-needed psychological support for survivors of the attack, support for Re’im children as they integrate into Tel Aviv schools, and resources to help create a kibbutz business recovery plan. CJP was the first federation to pilot offering kibbutz-specific aid. The towers are beautiful and we witnessed first-hand happy residents and playful kids all over the grounds. What a great accomplishment!!!
Another great organization we got to meet is Hagal Sheli (My Wave) https://hagalsheli.co.il/en/ourstory/,an organization that helps individuals, especially youths, deal with trauma through the discipline of learning how to surf. Really great leadership and a very effective intervention model. It was a pleasure to be able to get a two-hour taste of their program. Normally it takes a few days to get folks up on the board so I thought accomplishing the knee surf was just fine. I was exhausted after two hours. We all had great fun and could see how this can help with the long journey of working through trauma.
After the first 3 days of the mission, a few of us ventured to the Gaza Envelope on a tour to witness first-hand what happened on Oct 7th. Pain, anger, hope and a desire for long lasting peace all swirled at the same time. We were absolutely honored and lucky to have met Rafael (white shirt below) the father of Ben Shemoni who was a hero on Oct 7th. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ben-shimoni-31-music-loving-angel-who-saved-9-from-supernova/ .
He just happened to be there. He goes to the Nova Concert site twice a week to talk about his son to anyone that will listen. His description of his son and the communications he had with him that morning where gut-wrenching. He said not to worry. That they are proud of what his son did and what keeps them going is their promise to continue to live the best life possible. They said that is the best legacy they can give their son. Wow!!
Then we went to Kibbutz Kfar Aza one of the Kibbutz heavily destroyed by the attack on Oct 7th. No Words. The pictures say it all. I will way that the members still on the Kibbutz are ready to rebuild and welcome the rest back. Amazing resiliency.
Our mission group met to reflect on the mission and next steps for our recommendations to the Israel Emergency Fund Committee. We all talked about what the mission meant to us. I said, as I have experienced in other missions, the bonds developed on the mission amongst us will allow us to keep going as there is much work to be done to mend our broken world. And ending a trip to Israel in Jerusalem really sets the stage for future action. The mission continues.
P.S. Always glad to be able to buy some soldiers Falafel.
