Jewish federations in Canada will not be launching a full-scale emergency fundraising campaign to help Israel, at least not for the moment.
However, several federations, including UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, are reminding Jewish Canadians there are existing online portals where people who want to contribute to help Israel now, can do so.
“Israel needs our help, definitely,” said Sara Lefton, the chief development officer for the Toronto federation, in an interview with The CJN June 15. “If someone gives, we will absolutely give it to our Israel allocation.”
Contributions for the current crisis to help Israelis impacted since the war with Iran launched on June 13, can be made via UJA Toronto’s website under the heading “Addressing today’s needs in Israel”, Lefton said.
Late Monday June 16, the Toronto federation sent out an e-blast to the community entitled “Israel Urgent Needs Campaign”. Lefton said that any new funds contributed for the current situation will be funnelled through the charity’s brand new channel.
Top Canadian federation officials from coast to coast met on an emergency Zoom call with their Israeli partners on June 15 to seek guidance on the needs on the ground. The call was interrupted by an air raid siren alerting the country to more incoming missiles from Iran.
However, the Canadians were told that Israel is still assessing the impact from the missile strikes which have continued unabated. While more than two dozen apartment complexes have been damaged in central Israel and parts of northern Israel, and hundreds of now homeless families have to relocate, it’s expected the Israeli government will provide funds to rebuild infrastructure.
An estimated 400 medium range ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones have been launched at Israel from Iran since June 13, according to the Israeli government’s official website updating “Operation Rising Lion”. As of June 17, Israel said missiles hit 35 sites and have killed 24 people to date, and wounded 647.
In Bat Yam, a community near Tel Aviv, nine people died in the overnight bombardment June 15. Approximately 60 buildings were damaged or left unstable, according to the local representative in Israel for Toronto’s UJA Federation. The survivors who have had to relocate are already being provided with immediate assistance through existing funds sent by Toronto donors, officials told The CJN.
The funds also helped with other needs, such as replacing cellphones, for example, that were left behind when residents had to flee.
After Oct. 7, 2023, Canada’s Jewish communities raised a record $140 million in an emergency fundraising appeal to help meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of displaced people, the victims of Hamas, the hostages and their families, and survivors. Much of that money has been already allocated to specific projects throughout the country. But officials said there is some money still left which could be spent, including to provide assistance such as trauma counselling to Israelis impacted by the current war with Iran.
“We are revisiting whether to go to the community and ask them if they’d like to contribute more in order to support the current situation, and to deploy the final few hundred thousand dollars that we’ve kind of held back for post-trauma, and we might have to deploy that now,” according to Yair Szlak, the president and CEO of Federation CJA Montreal.
The Montreal federation’s website has an existing portal where people can donate online to help Israel.
Among the projects in Israel which Jewish Montrealers have donated to since Oct. 7, is one called Healthy Mind, a mental health operation that includes online counselling for Israeli victims of terror. Szlak said counsellors from Healthy Mind were deployed this week to assist a group of Montreal CEGEP and university students, aged 18-22, who are now stranded in Israel.
About 65 post-secondary students travelled from Montreal on the Journey of Hope mission. After spending a week touring Poland, together with trip staff and also with two Holocaust survivors from Montreal, the group arrived in Israel on June 11. They completed a day and a half of regular touring and programming before Israel’s attack began Friday morning.
As Iran’s missile bombardments began, the Montrealers have been confined to their hotel, and have had to scramble into bomb shelters several times every day and at night.
“We’re keenly aware that waking up in the middle of the night a number of times for four nights straight, getting very little sleep and being anxious is not a good, healthy, dynamic, and, of course, Israelis live through it all the time, you know,” Szlak said.
While Canadian Jewish federations have not launched a full out emergency appeal yet, that could change “momentarily”, according to Steve Shulman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of Canada – United Israel Appeal. JFC/UIA is the umbrella organization representing all the federations in the country.
“We want to be sure, on behalf of our donors, that we are providing funds for initiatives that truly require our funding, and not just making an ask for funds without being able to determine a measure of specificity of overall need and utilization,” Shulman said, explaining the decision to stay the course, for now.
While federation fundraising officials are “watching” the situation in Israel, according to Toronto’s Sara Lefton, it is not the same scale of need right now as was the case after Oct. 7, 2023.
“It is very, very different than having to, as an example, post-October 7th, rebuild the entire mental health support system in the country, or have thousands and thousands and thousands of families who have been impacted by terror, or having to relocate tens of thousands of people,” Lefton said.
“We are watching the reality on the ground, and we are in touch, literally, minute by minute with our partners, but, at this point, we feel we need to provide additional support, but not at the level of a full-scale emergency campaign.”
The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver is also accepting new donations for Israel through its existing Israel Emergency Campaign set up after Oct. 7.
“Israel desperately needs our help—and we are responding,” the updated website reads. “We call on all who hold Israel in their hearts to continue to respond generously.”
Meanwhile, at least a few Israel-based charity with a Canadian branch are also appealing for donations.
Canadian Magen David Adom helps the Jewish state’s national ambulance and paramedic service.
“You can support Israel right now by ensuring MDA has the medical supplies, vehicles and advanced equipment it needs to respond to all emergencies in this time of unprecedented war,” the charity’s website says.
“MDA teams are working around the clock to locate the wounded, treat the victims, and transport all those in need to hospital. In these most challenging times, the people of Israel count on your support,” the Montreal-based Canadian branch posted on its Facebook page June 15.
OneFamily Fund, an Israel-based group supporting terror victims, founded by Canadians Marc Belzberg of Vancouver, and his wife Chantal and daughter Michal, is also accepting donations, said Toby Rosner, the Toronto-based executive director.
Canadian Hadassah-Wizo has launched a campaign to raise $150,000 before June 30. The money will go to help Israeli hospitals and for treatment of patients impacted by the current war.
“Real people will need to rebuild, halt PTSD before it takes root, and reclaim their lives,” the CHW charity told supporters in a communique June 17. “Every trauma therapy session we underwrite today can spare a father or mother years of depression. Every hour of specialized rehab we fund now can mean someone walks again tomorrow.”
