Facing north: Rebuilding lives and hope in northern Israel

As you read this, the situation in northern Israel remains unpredictable – and the post-Oct. 7 reality of constant disruption, anxiety, and devastation continues. Yet, amid the turmoil, local Israelis are determined to rebuild. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), known as the Joint, has worked to empower the most vulnerable in the Land of Israel since 1914, and is again at the forefront of providing critical emergency support for the hardest hit during this war. Together, residents of the North and JDC are forging a path toward recovery and a brighter future for the region.

“On the day of the disaster [in Majdal Shams], I saw the event from my house window. I heard people’s screams, and I still hear the voices and screams.” Iba Abu Salah is the director of programs for ages one to three at the local Early Childhood Center in the village of Majdal Shams. In July, a deadly missile attack hit the small village and killed 12 children, traumatizing residents.

While the local authority’s education teams received initial assistance, Iba immediately understood it was a much more complex situation affecting many different circles in the community that needed tailored treatment. She also realized she needed support and guidance herself.

“We’re still mourning,” Iba says. “Parents fear sending their children to daycare. There are kindergarten teachers and assistants who lost children or relatives. At first, I didn’t know where to start, but Rita helped me focus.”An early childhood programs manager in JDC’s Ashalim division, Rita had worked with Iba in the past on initiatives in Majdal Shams. Immediately after the tragic event, she offered Iba help in responding to the crisis, and they began speaking daily to formulate a plan.

Interventions included an assistance program for early childhood professionals, a therapeutic playroom at the Early Childhood Center, and JDC-provided psychological support to therapists who work with children in the Child Development Unit.

For the long term, Iba and the JDC team developed a comprehensive work plan with an emphasis on treating children, supporting educational teams, and helping the families and community heal.JDC-Ashalim, together with the Education Ministry, also launched Hibuki, an intervention for preventative trauma treatment, in preschools in Majdal Shams and surrounding Druze villages in the Golan Heights.“I am so grateful to Rita and the JDC team for seeing that we needed help and stepping in,” Iba concluded.

“I’ve lived in Kiryat Bialik since 1977,” says 80-year-old Rozette Afteker. “I live on the third floor, so it’s hard for me to go down to the shelter due to limited leg movement. Sometimes the stairs are dark, but I have the flashlight from the emergency kit That JDC provided me. It can light my way.”

Rozette is one of hundreds of thousands of people made even more vulnerable by the war, particularly in many towns and villages where already limited resources and services are strained beyond capacity.JDC launched an initiative to strengthen emergency readiness and preparedness in 18 northern municipalities, focusing on rapid response to vulnerable populations that include the elderly, people with disabilities, and families in distress.

JDC provided experts in emergency management and best practices, with each of the participating municipalities receiving training, funding for an emergency management coordinator, guidance on implementing better information systems to monitor residents’ needs, and resources to address their community’s specific needs to improve services.

In addition, JDC helped the authorities map at-risk populations and prepare these vulnerable residents for emergencies, thereby strengthening individual and family resilience. And together with volunteers and municipal employees, JDC distributed 30,000 emergency kits for 120,000 people, containing a portable charger, flashlight, radio, first-aid kit, and an instruction booklet in Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic, with therapeutic games for children, where relevant.

Distributing these supplies had an additional outcome – to instill in people the feeling that they are seen and cared for. “It’s comforting that JDC comes to me at home,” says Rozette. JDC’s critical groundwork has enabled these communities to respond quickly during an escalation in the war and other types of emergencies.

The infrastructure is now in place to provide rapid humanitarian response, such as distributing food and diapers, providing nursing and evacuations, and implementing interventions that will help people in the difficult first hours of a crisis.

In line with JDC’s mission to both provide immediate relief and rebuild for the long term, its work includes preparing for displaced residents to return to their homes. Through its Elka division, JDC is partnering with northern authorities to assess needs, set priorities, and create work plans ahead of government allocations for northern rehabilitation and development.

Together with local authorities and regional stakeholders, JDC-Elka is also developing solutions for providing economic aid to businesses and strengthening residents’ resilience. These comprehensive efforts aim to kick-start rehabilitation and reconstruction processes immediately, addressing both urgent needs and future stability.

Dan Asraf, 64, is one of the founders of Moshav Kanaf in the Golan Heights. He and his wife, Lilach, grow lavender on the family farm. Although Kanaf wasn’t evacuated, for three months the area was designated a closed military zone, which meant no one could access it. This critically affected Dan’s crops.

“During the harvest time, we need many working hands. This year, everything turned upside down,” Dan says. “It was terribly difficult... Many people were recruited to serve in the IDF; the youth couldn’t go out and work the land. Groups of contractors didn’t come at all. So much of our crop wasn’t harvested, and we’re at half the annual yield due to the manpower problem,” he explains.

Despite this difficult and challenging time, Dan decided to participate in the 360 in Agriculture program developed by JDC’s Tevet division, which addresses unemployment, together with the Agriculture Ministry. The 360 in Agriculture program offers small businesses assistance to Israel’s agricultural sector.

As part of the program, Dan received individual guidance and training that led him to make a game-changing decision for his business. “Following the professional guidance I received, I now understand the potential of mechanized farming and progress,” says Dan. “I set a goal for this year to mechanize 80% of the operations. I hope that by the next harvest season, I’ll be prepared with a more modern mechanization system.”

Thanks to the 360 in Agriculture program, Dan made a decision that will change the nature of his work. “It raises businesses from mediocrity to professionalism.” Restoring personal and community resilience is one of JDC’s primary goals for Israel in the post-Oct. 7 reality – and its strategic Mashiv HaRuach (Restoring Spirit) program is at the heart of those efforts.

In cooperation with local authorities, JDC identifies the unique needs of each community and creates tailored programs focusing on various areas of life, such as mental health, education, employment, and assistance to small businesses, all with the aim of restoring a sense of security and control to residents’ lives. Mashiv HaRuach is already successfully operating in Ashkelon, Ofakim, and Rahat, and recently began operating in Nahariya in the North.For Nahariya resident Katerina Gold and her three sons, two of whom have special needs, Mashiv HaRuach is providing much-needed relief. “Being stuck all day at home with a child, constantly explaining to him what an alarm is, and he keeps waking up in the middle of the night with nightmares, telling me, ‘Mom, let’s go to the shelter.’ It’s not simple,” says Katerina.

During more than a year of war, Nahariya residents have been living under constant threat. For families with special-needs children, this reality is even more complex and difficult.“We used to go to a lot of social activities in the afternoon. Suddenly we stopped everything because we need to stay close to protected spaces,” says Katerina.

Recently, a sports day was held in the city for families of children with disabilities as part of Mashiv HaRuach. The event provided the children and the parents with an opportunity for respite from their daily challenges.“The activity for me is a clear break,” Katerina says excitedly. “I enjoy seeing my child having fun. Although he can’t say it in words outwardly, you can see the happiness in his eyes.”

While the situation remains changeable, one thing is clear: The recent events in Israel underscore the critical need for emergency preparedness with an eye to rebuilding for the future. JDC’s work, in partnership with local authorities and others, demonstrates the power of resilience and collective action even in the face of adversity.“Our ability to strengthen vulnerable Israelis and devastated communities in the North, and throughout the country, is anchored in our longstanding commitment and widespread presence in Israel, both before and after Oct. 7,” says JDC CEO Ariel Zwang.

“Our emergency services have reached nearly half a million Israelis, and there are millions more who need the support offered by our new initiatives for mental, economic, and social resilience. Our responsibility is to journey with Israelis in need as we move from meeting their emergency needs to deploying long-term solutions for the rehabilitation and renewal of Israeli society. That future starts today.”

JDC's efforts in Israel are made possible by the Jewish Federations and tens of thousands of foundations, families, corporations, and individual donors who support JDC’s post-October 7 emergency response work.

This article was written in cooperation with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.