Israel – Response to 7th October 2023
The Wohl Legacy responded immediately to the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, recognising the immediate needs and those developing over time, The Wohl Legacy reached out to organisations across Israel, supporting their efforts and continuing to issue funds and ongoing help.
This crisis has shown the strength and resilience of civil society and the third sector in Israel, and we commend Wohl Legacy’s many partners for their outstanding work during this time.
As Israeli society faces growing crises in mental health, youth-at-risk, and employment, and begins to address the long-term challenges of rehabilitation and re-building, leaders of the third sector are charged with a heavy burden, which they are shouldering with dedication and grace.
In order to support these efforts, the The Wohl Legacy trustees have made the following grants since October 2023:
Immediate Grants for Disaster Relief
Jewish Agency for Israel – Victims of Terror Fund
LEKET – Food supply for evacuees
Natal – Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center
Yad Sarah – Rehabilitation/Medical equipment and services
Shalva – Hosting Evacuees in the National Crisis Response Center
The Jaffa Institute – Evacuee Food supply and relief
Kesher – Support for families of special needs children during the crisis
Beit Issie Shapiro – Emergency services for disabled and able-bodied evacuees and core services
Mid-Term & Long-Term Strategy Post 7th October
As the war transitions to the next phase and Israel starts to look towards the longer term, The Wohl Legacy have been working with a range of existing grantees and some new partners to support their responses and developing needs in their fields.
Towards the end of 2024, The Wohl Legacy joined a coalition of 7 philanthropic partners, led by the Rashi Foundation, in a 3-year effort to revitalise the socioeconomically disadvantaged Israeli communities, that were hit hard by the war.
Known as “Muni-IMPACT” 4 major Municipalities located in the Gaza Envelope were identified: Sderot, Ofakim, Netivot, and Ashkelon. The focuse is on several critical areas: municipal management capacity, education, community resilience and employment and economic development. Within the coalition, The Wohl Legacy’s support is specifically focused on the city of Ofakim. These 4 Municipalities already suffered from chronic socioeconomic under-performance before the war, the war magnified their needs, and as such the strategic investments and extensive knowledge, provided by the philanthropic partners, are both crucial and far-reaching.
This initiative will ultimately help support the region, enabling growth for local individuals and communities, while equipping the population with the backing they need to achieve and sustain a better future.
Mental Health & Resilience
Bayit Le’ Kol yeled (BiLY) – Care for child victims of abuse, including specialist child trauma psychologists attending the children of Kibbutz Beeri
Israel Trauma Coalition/ Sdot Ha’Negev Resilience Center – relief for evacuees
Mosaica – Religion, Society and State – Conflict Management for Evacuees
Wohl Garage Campus – addition of a permanent shelter in the pre-preparatory arts school for young adults with mental health challenges
Wusta Tzega – Emergency Culturally-adapted Psychological Assistance for the Ethiopian Community
ICA – Israel Centre for Addiction & Mental Health – A 3-year municipal programme for the prevention and treatment of mental distress among adolescents in Northern Israel
JDC Tevet – Rehabilitation through Employment: Vocational Training and Job Placement in Conflict Areas. Through Targeted job placement, this program equips war-affected job seekers with the skills they need to fill available positions in high-demand industries. The Wohl Legacy is supporting the programme in areas affected by conflict in the North of Israel
Youth-at-Risk
Aharai! – Informal education framework for youth evacuees and victims to ensure mental resilience
ELEM – Youth-at-risk/Mental health, to provide breathing spaces in evacuee hotels and schools
Quantum – Emergency Renovations for Expansion of Susan’s House Center in Eilat for local and evacuee youth at risk
The Public Forum – Welfare assistance for children and youth at risk in out-of-home placements
Yeladim – Emergency Response for Youth and Young Adults at Risk
Pathways to Self-Sufficiency
Be-Atzmi – Employment rehabilitation and support for evacuees
Haredi Coalition for Employment – Recruiting Haredim to the job market as part of the national effort
Yozmot Atid – Support for Female Owned Micro Businesses impacted by the crisis
