You Can Help Displaced Gaza Settlers by Giving to UJA MetroWest

To help meet the immediate needs of some 9,000 settlers displaced by Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria, United Jewish Communities (UJC) of MetroWest NJ has opened a mailbox to provide aid through the 2006 United Jewish Appeal (UJA) of MetroWest NJ campaign.

While the Government of Israel is providing compensation to these families, primarily for housing, there is an urgent need for services to help families deal with the trauma of dislocation, provide educational enrichment for children, and furnish a social infrastructure amid chaos.

UJC MetroWest was the first Jewish federation in the United States to spring to the aid of the evacuees. It allocated $15,000 in August to establish a community center for 500 residents relocated from the Gaza Strip to the town of Nitzan, north of Gaza, where settlers are housed in temporary, prefabricated units.

Numerous families have also been located to the region of Shaar Hanegev, where UJC MetroWest is partnered with Kibbutz Erez. Local schools are absorbing hundreds of new students, putting a considerable strain on their resources.

Additional funds are required to meet immediate needs, including:

• Equipment for day care centers and kindergartens.
• Playgrounds.
• Support groups for both children and adults.
• Educational enrichment to help the “new kids” in the schools catch up with their classmates.
• Salaries for staff members in the new community center in Nitzan.
• Recreational equipment for the Nitzan community center.

UJC MetroWest is focusing on the communities of Nitzan and Shaar Hanegev, where, together with our Israeli partners, we can make an important difference by raising additional funds NOW for our special Disengagement Fund during September and October 2005.

As resettlement proceeds, further needs may become evident. Your continued support of the 2006 UJA Campaign will help us to continue assisting families striving to rebuild their lives over the longer term.

You can help via our secure browser – click here to make a contribution.