Rashi Foundation CEO: 'We need to focus on renewed growth'

Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi, Rashi Foundation CEO Michal Cohen, and photojournalist Chen Schimmel discussed opportunities for renewed growth in Israel’s periphery in a panel discussion at the Jerusalem Post Conference on Monday in New York, entitled “Rebuilding Hope: Looking forward after October 7.”

Cohen, who heads the Rashi Foundation, one of Israel’s leading private philanthropies that is marking forty years of activity in promoting social mobility and equal opportunity in Israel’s geographic and social periphery, said, “In building a better future for Israel’s citizens, we need to invest in strengthening the community and personal resilience of the residents of the north and south. We need to focus on renewed growth and not just on repairing the war damage.”

Since October 2023, the foundation has expanded its activity to support the recovery of communities in the south and north of the country, charting together with them a path towards growth and prosperity.

After the Hamas attack of October 7, the Rashi Foundation visited evacuees at hotels throughout Israel and created schools in conjunction with municipalities of evacuated towns that not only enabled children to continue their studies, but also helped them deal with emotional and social issues that arose due to their being uprooted from their home environment.  

Alon Davidi, mayor of Sderot, who has worked with the Rashi Foundation over the years, recalled the cataclysmic moments of the Hamas attack on October 7 and said that the attack had changed the life of the State of Israel. Nevertheless, he stated that he is optimistic that Israel will defeat Hamas.

Speaking of the municipality’s support for the residents of Sderot, he said, “The municipality works with many government organizations as well as the Rashi Foundation, and we try to give the residents all of the support that they need, in resilience, education, and business.”

Chen Schimmel, whose photo exhibition, “October 7,” which depicted the aftermath of the Hamas attacks, was on display at the Conference, recounted her visit to Kibbutz Be’eri with the Zaka organization and cleaning the blood that had accumulated in one of the homes where people were murdered.

Schimmel has traveled to the Gaza border communities numerous times, snapping photos of ZAKA teams recovering human remains from the Hamas massacres, photographing families of the Gaza hostages, and covering demonstrations, as well as the funerals of soldiers killed in action.

She recalled a photo session with the mother of Eden Zecharya, who was murdered by terrorists while attempting to escape from the Nova music festival. “I was about to leave, and she turned to me and asked me to stay for a cup of tea. I put my camera down and said, ‘Of course.’ We sat on the couch, and she made me a fresh mint tea. As we were talking, she started to play with my hair. I think she just really missed the time that she had with her daughter.”  

The Rashi Foundation and Chen Schimmel sponsored a portion of the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference. www.jpost.com/AC24