Please click here to be brought to the Israel at War Resource Hub
Dear JCA Community,
We are devastated by the news of the attacks in Israel, which targeted civilians in many places across the country. As you are no doubt aware, Israel has declared an emergency and is at war. This was a coordinated attack from Gaza, involving thousands of rockets and security breaches throughout the South. Thousands of people have been wounded, and thousands more killed. This is an unprecedented situation, and the country’s military has been mobilized and is responding robustly. Live updates are available here: https://www.timesofisrael.com/.
So many of us have family and dear friends in Israel, and our hearts are with them tonight. We have been in touch with the Shlichim who served as counselors at Center Day Camp this summer as well as other recent alums of the program; they are all safe with family, but several will be reporting for reserve duty. Our prayers will be with them and we will continue to support them in every way we can.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Israel. We will join together as one to pray for the healing of those injured, pray for the safe return of hostages, mourn the loss of those killed, and support our families in Israel.
In the coming days, we will work together with area synagogues and leadership to plan local responses and gatherings. In addition, JFNA has opened a fund to support Israelis impacted by these attacks. There will be many costs related to rebuilding, helping the injured, and supporting those who have experienced trauma. The link to donate is here; please choose “Southern Maine” (under “S”) as your community: https://jfeds.org/israelfund2023
Though we are many thousands of miles away, our support for Israel is vitally important right now. Together with all people of conscience and with the Jewish community worldwide, we stand together. We mourn those lost, pray for those defending Israel and for the healing of all who have been harmed. Please check this page regularly for updates. We will be posting new links and information here as it becomes available.
We know that many people were not able to attend the JFNA webinar on Sunday; here is a link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHZ9OS70HY8
In addition, the following podcasts have just been released by the Shalom Hartman Institute, a wonderful resource for accurate, in-depth and meaningful information and connection to Israel:
https://www.hartman.org.il/israel-at-war-how-did-this-happen/
https://hartman.tfaforms.net/4718937
The Community Solidarity Prayer Vigil for Israel was held on Wednesday, October 11 at 6 PM. Click here to watch:
TBE Community Solidarity Vigil - October 11, 2023 - 6 pm - YouTube