Keren Hayesod Update - August 2020 | Keren Hayesod

For the People of Israel

Update – October 2020

Home PageNewsletter October 2020

Dear Friends of Keren Hayesod,

As many of you have read in the media, or heard from friends or loved ones in Israel, we are experiencing the second wave of the Coronavirus crisis. Just ahead of Rosh Hashana last week, Israel entered its second lockdown with tight restrictions on movement, prohibiting people from gathering for the holidays and traveling more than a short distance from their homes.

In addition to the dire health crisis in Israel, which has caused hospitals to reach their capacity and for the country to reach a state of emergency, the economic situation has reached a frightening point, which is expected to continue to worsen following the second lockdown.

As many of you know, from your own first-hand experiences in your communities with the devastating and longstanding implications of the pandemic, Jewish community life has come to a near standstill and the needs of those in Israel’s periphery have increased.

Coronavirus statistics in Israel*1 (As of October 1, 2020):

012345678901234567890123456789,012345678901234567890123456789 Cases

vs 298 on March 16, 2020

012345678901234567890123456789,012345678901234567890123456789 Recovered

012345678901234567894567890 Serious cases

0123456789,012345678901234567890123456789 Deaths

vs 1 on March 20,2020

The statistics demonstrate the virus’ severity and serves as a stark reminder of why we must continue to stand united in our support for the people of Israel.

Keren Hayesod has made it a priority, since the beginning of the outbreak, to ensure that the people of Israel are continuously supported and provided with the necessary tools needed to adjust to the new, harsh reality and difficult circumstances.

As of September 29, 2020, the unemployment rate in Israel reached 22.7%, which is a drastic increase of 18.8% since before the pandemic began and the unemployment rate was at 3.2%. *2

The unemployment crisis is extremely prevalent for those in Israel’s periphery.

Keren Hayesod supports many different programs throughout Israel, which provide critical resources to those in the periphery and to those who need us the most. Your support is crucial to ensuring the wellbeing and continued livelihood of the people of Israel.

Some of our projects that are in need of support are:

Supporting Aliyah & Absorption

Despite the crisis, new immigrants continue to arrive in Israel. There is an increase in the number of people around the world who are interested in making Aliyah. According to the Jewish Agency for Israel, there has been a significant increase in the number of people who inquired about immigrating to Israel, with an estimated 250,000 new immigrants arriving to Israel over the next five years.

Absorption centers are a critical component to the integration of new immigrants into Israel society, and under these circumstances, serve as a place for quarantine for all the new immigrants arriving in the country.

Many of the residents of absorption centers are unemployed and facing major discouragement due to the situation. Thus, the Jewish Agency has extended the usual length of stay in absorption centers for new Olim.

Support new Olim

Donate Now

Amigour Sheltered Housing

Today, over 7,500 low-income seniors throughout Israel live in Amigour Sheltered Housing, a Keren Hayesod supported project. Many of the residents of Amigour are Holocaust survivors and immigrants from the Former Soviet Union who lack family and friends to help them, especially during this challenging time.

Throughout the crisis, Keren Hayesod has worked to ensure the safety of the residents, providing them with hygiene products and protective equipment. However, due to the ongoing crisis, this need is increasingly prevalent.

Support the residents of Amigour

Donate Now

It is our hope that you will be able to continue supporting those in need and working together with Keren Hayesod to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the people of Israel.

As Erez Shani, VP of Resource Development for Amigour said in the video above, “without Keren Hayesod, we couldn’t have done this ourselves”.

Thanks to all of you, Keren Hayesod is able to provide the critical resources needed to safeguard the health and safety of Amigour residents.

Keren Hayesod supports many projects, which will be highlighted throughout the course of the next several newsletters.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Chag Sameach, Happy Sukkot and a healthy and happy New Year.