November 14, 2023

Dear Marketing,

As the situation continues to evolve in Israel, Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas (JFGD) has collected critical information and actionable resources for our community.

TODAY, DALLAS JOINED A HISTORIC MARCH FOR ISRAEL

Close to 300,000 people from across the nation participated in the March for Israel rally in Washington DC today, which is being described as the largest pro-Israel march in history. Another 250,000 watched via livestream [↗] according to the march organizers, Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

The crowd responded loudly as numerous speakers called for support of Israel, demanded the immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas, and condemned rising global antisemitism. Our own Jewish Dallas delegation gathered together [↗] more than 250 people to stand with Israel. Am Yisrael chai!

In this Jewish Insider opinion piece [↗], the writer cautions against the media's focus simply on the number of attendees, noting that "this type of occasion reminds us that crowds of such numbers are not faceless masses of people to be lumped together. Each...individual has his own story, her own needs, and their own gifts to offer."

A US State Department spokesperson confirmed [↗] that Hamas declined Israel’s offer of fuel for use at Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City while another American official confirmed to CNN that Hamas built a command center [↗] underneath the hospital. See more information and a photo [↗] of the Israel Defense Forces dropping off fuel for “urgent medical purposes,” at the hospital, and audio of Hamas directing [↗] the hospital not to accept it.

A Muslim doctor and human rights observer visited morgues in Israel to document the atrocities [↗] committed by Hamas. She concludes that the Hamas attack can only be characterized as genocide: the methodically planned destruction of a people. "The sovereign state of Israel is destroying Hamas because Hamas is threatening Israel, which is working to mitigate civilian losses. The country has a duty to prevent further genocide against its people."

The UK’s Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has come out unequivocally supporting Israel [↗]. “If Britain had been subject to an attack of terrorists coming and murdering [1,200] people and cutting off heads, and we knew where those terrorists had gone, no one would say to Britain to stop going after them,” Shapps said.

KEEP THE ENERGY GOING

Sign our action alert [↗] strongly supporting the measure to fully fund critical security assistance for Israel in its fight to destroy Hamas.

Show your support [↗] for the rescue of hostages taken by Hamas by participating in the Blue Ribbon Campaign (#BlueRibbonsforIsrael). Wear a ribbon on your clothing or tie a blue ribbon around a tree to show support for Israel and to demand the safe and immediate return of all the hostages. See a moving, short video [↗] urging the return of the hostages.

Donate to the JFGD Emergency Fund for Israel [↗]. Dallas stands with Israel. Jewish Federations of North America's Israel Emergency Fund has surpassed $600 million. Read more [↗] about the incredible impact of these gifts. And click here [↗] for the latest allocations report.

Support Israel Now ↗

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Resources: Readers can access a Jewish Federations toolkit of resources here, and can refer to the Community Mobilization Center Resource Hub for the latest talking points, tools, and other resources.
Map: This site shows a map of the October 7 massacre with a red dot for every person killed and a black dot for every person abducted by Hamas. Clicking on any dot will show the name and picture (if available) of the victim with age and last known location.
Details: For full details about the home front and military operations, see this update. And for information on the latest overall numbers from the conflict, see here.
Volunteering: Read this Jewish Federations update on volunteering opportunities in Israel right now.
Call: The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI): Daily webinars sponsored by Jewish Federations and the Jewish Agency are offered. A rotating team of analysts of Israeli military affairs, the US-Israel relationship, Israel’s political system, and the country’s diverse society will speak every Sunday to Thursday from 11-11:30 am ET. No registration is required. Join here.
Local Authorities: Jewish Federations have produced a document answering questions about funding-impacted localities and municipalities in Israel. See here.
Volunteering: Birthright Israel has opened a volunteering program, through which people from outside of Israel can come to Tel Aviv and take part in food rescue operations to prevent shortages in the Israeli market, including work to sort, pack, and distribute goods for civil and military personnel.
Critical Information: For those in Israel looking for help, critical information about the situation on the ground, or other assistance, see this resource page by Jewish Federations.
Listen here to Rabbis Angela Buchdahl and Shlomo Nisanov’s testimony during a UJA New York mission to Israel.
Knesset: The heads of Jewish Federations of North America have received a letter from the Knesset, thanking the community for its unprecedented support during the country’s dark hour. See the letter here.
Supplying Protective Equipment: See also this Jewish Federations information page on requests for personal protective equipment which are circulating and this update regarding volunteering.
Read the latest communication from the Community Mobilization Center here.
Funders: As many funders struggle to distinguish between the multitudes of organizations looking for important resources, the Jewish Funders Network has produced this thorough page of guidance.
Solidarity Gatherings: Over 120 communities have held solidarity gatherings. Watch here. For a guidebook on hosting a gathering in your community, click here.
Hostages: Jewish Federations have launched The Blue Ribbon Campaign, which symbolizes support and solidarity for the safe return of the hostages taken by Hamas. Wearing a ribbon publicly unites people of all religions, races, nationalities, ethnicities, ages, and generations. It demonstrates to the people of Israel that they are not alone and that good people across the globe are with them and their families during this dark time.

JEWISH FEDERATIONS

Jewish Federations of North America's Israel Emergency Fund has surpassed $650 million. We have allocated a total of more than $175 million to date from the Emergency Fund; for our blog post on the subject, click here and for the updated list of recipients and amounts, click here.

The Community Mobilization Center is monitoring major developments in Israel and North America related to Israel’s war to defend herself against Hamas, and will rapidly disseminate resources to help mobilize and support our local communities as they work to build and sustain civic and political support for Israel in this conflict. Read the latest communication from the Community Mobilization Center here.

Our Israel Office, having activated emergency protocols, is working closely with our partners on the ground, and is close contact with the Government of Israel and the IDF. We will continue to update as the situation develops.