Israel Emergency Fund

Dear Friend, I last wrote on Wednesday from Israel. At the time, our 40-member AJC delegation was in a makeshift shelter at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa as sirens had gone off warning of a possible missile strike. As you can imagine, it was quite a day for our group. During our time in the northern part of the country, we were compelled to seek shelter three times and we were stopped on a highway for well over an hour as security forces searched the area for a terrorist from Jenin who was on the loose. But the more lasting impressions were others. We witnessed a hospital fully mobilized to care for victims of Hezbollah attacks, even as it continued to provide services for all patients, Jews and Arabs alike, in need of medical assistance and as its researchers went on with their lifesaving work in stem cell, diabetes, and cancer research. We met with victims of Hezbollah attacks who had miraculously survived, even if in some cases their colleagues hadn't. We met with mayors, chiefs of police, and Israeli alumni of AJC programs who were determined to stand tall and strong, to instill hope in those around them, and to carry on with daily life as much as possible. And the same searing experiences took place during our visit the previous day to the south-to Sderot, practically on the border with Gaza and enduring daily shelling for years, and Nitzanim, a beachside community that had been transformed literally overnight into a refugee camp to house Israelis, and especially children, from the north who were seeking relative safety. And now I'm back home, but totally enveloped by these, and other memories, from the four days we spent in Israel as the first solidarity group to arrive from the United States. Whatever we did during our time there-visit hospitals, damaged homes, and refugee camps, donate blood, meet with officials, express our friendship and commitment-paled in comparison with what Israelis are facing each and every day. So I ask myself what more can we all do beyond following the news, praying for an end to the violence from Lebanon and Gaza, wishing for the safety of Israeli soldiers in harm's way, and yearning for the peace that has been central to the Jewish quest since time immemorial. The truth is that each of us can do more. We need to do more. Israelis must feel our identification with them at this critical moment. That's why I urge you, if you haven't already done so, to go to www.ajc.org and make a generous donation to our Israel Emergency Assistance Fund . If it's easier for you, mail a check, payable to AJC/IAEF, to Ms. Brenda Rudzin, AJC, 165 East 56th Street, New York, NY 10022. Consistent with longstanding AJC policy in our humanitarian appeals, we will absorb all administrative costs, so that your funds will go solely and exclusively for their intended purposes-to help Israeli institutions dealing with the humanitarian consequences of this crisis and to help ensure that the world better understands Israel's current security situation.  You can be assured that we will be moving quickly and responsibly to disburse the donated funds. Also, I would urge you, while visiting our Web site, to send the three letters to world leaders expressing support for Israel that can be found on our homepage Advocacy Center . It won't take you more than a minute or two and, in the process, you'll be making your views known to people who matter. These are tough times, to state the painfully obvious. The stakes couldn't be higher for Israel and the Jewish people. AJC, your organization, is seeking to do everything possible to assist in the political, diplomatic, and humanitarian realms. Your support now can enable us to do even more. As always, thank you for your friendship, confidence, and generosity. David Harris

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