September 5, 2002
28 Elul, 5762
JerusalemWeekly Jewish Solidarity Update 5 September 2002
(For the period of 29 August - 5 September)MANIFESTATIONS OF SOLIDARITY
Jewish Organizations from a wide variety of countries, most prominent among them being Canada, France and Italy, have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to assist IDF soldiers who are in difficult economic situations. These soldiers and lone soldiers will receive gift packages for the High Holy Days.
The United Jewish Communities' Israel Emergency Campaign will continue through 2003. Since last autumn, Jewish communities of North America committed themselves to $312 million. $222 million were raised since last April alone. In the framework of the Israel Emergency Campaign the Jewish Agency assists Israeli victims of terror and hostilities via the Fund for the Victims of Terror. Recently the UJC and Keren Hayesod committed to NIS 100 million (ca. $20 million) for increasing security of Israeli schoolchildren during the new school year.
A coalition of Jewish organizations and NGOs attended the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), where they defended Israel and played an important role in helping to prevent the summit from being hijacked by Arab and Palestinian activists, as had been the case in last year's Durban summit. Prominent among the groups were the 34-member Jewish Agency Delegation, which contained a large contingent of Israeli students belonging to WUJS. The delegation complemented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' information efforts. Parallel to the WSSD, the Jewish Agency's People to People department organized the first meeting of an International Forum of Jewish Environmentalists in Johannesburg. The Forum concluded that Jewish environmentalists in Israel and the Diaspora may share knowledge and pool resources for mutually beneficial projects. The group agreed to convene an International Conference of Jewish Environmentalists in Jerusalem, next year.
VOLUNTEERISM
There has been great interest, especially among students to come to Israel on volunteer programs coordinated by the Jewish Agency's Tnuat Aliyah Department. In April the Jewish Agency launched a campaign for volunteers to serve in Israel in various capacities, among them the Civil Guard (auxiliary police), Magen David Adom, regional councils, social welfare agencies and civilian tasks in the IDF. 2,895 have applied and 575 have already arrived in Israel.INFORMATION ACTIVITIES
Visit the Jewish Agency-Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Briefing Ambassador" course site: www.jacontact.org/ambassador to learn how you can become a proficient advocate on behalf of Israel.
ANTI-SEMITISM
According to the Anti Defamation League, neo-Nazi organizations are planning an anti-Semitic propaganda campaign against Jewish institutions. As part of the campaign they intend to flood the Internet with anti-Semitic hatred and distribute tracts replete with anti-Semitic stereotypes and calumnies, such as "Jews control the media and Hollywood," and "Jews and other minorities are destroying social values." The neo-Nazis intend to draw a spurious relationship between the September 11th terror attack and the USA's support of Israel. As a result, security of Jewish institutions will be increased.
Anti-Semitic incidents may be monitored on the official State of Israel-Jewish Agency website: www.antisemitism.org.il
For comments or information
Please contact:
Yehuda Weinraub
e-mail:eugenejo@zahav.net.il
or yehudaw@jazo.org.il
tel: 02 620 2215
mobile: 053 927 017Or
Contact the Office of the Spokesman:
Michael Jankelowitz
Liaison to Foreign Press and Media
Jewish Agency for Israel
Tel: 972-2-6202780
Fax: 972-2-6202708
Mobile: 972-51-601706