Ketushas Don't Deter JDC Efforts to Bring Direct Relief to Children and the Elderly

Wednesday, July 19 New York -- Today a ketusha rocket hit a truck delivering activity-kits for children in bomb shelters in the North. There were no injuries. The hit occurred in Ir Ha'Carmel, a Druze village near Haifa.

Despite the threat, the volunteers remained undeterred and managed to deliver almost 475 activity-kits in the North, and 100 in the South. The kits are part of JDC's efforts to safeguard the emotional health of shell-shocked children cramped in bomb-shelters.

Prepared by a cadre of city-based youth volunteers in Beersheba, the kits contain board games and craft projects. Each kit is delivered by a volunteer who spends time in the shelter entertaining and engaging the children.

"We are fortunate that the volunteers are safe and that there were no casualties. The citizens of Northern Israel are under fire, and so are we as we try to help them, but such setbacks will not hinder us from continuing our efforts to aid the children and vulnerable citizens of Israel," said Arnon Mantver, Director of JDC-Israel. Thus, far 600 kits have been delivered.

These children's activity-kits are part of a larger JDC response which aims to protect Israel's most vulnerable, the elderly, those with disabilities and children.

Last night, a spray of bullets from a Ketusha rocket badly damaged the JDC-Eshel supported Ma'alot Day Care Center for the Elderly as staff were busily preparing hot meals for delivery, medications and emergency kits for homebound elderly. The Ketusha landed on the fence of a nursery school across the street, destroying the center's front façade and much of the interior infrastructure.

Although the Israeli Home Front Command has shut down public centers, including schools and community centers, JDC-Eshel staff, together with their local partners, are braving the risk of airborne missiles and rockets to ensure that the elderly who did not have the financial means or family connections to evacuate the area, are cared for.

Yelena Twersky, the Director of the Ma'alot Center believes it is a miracle that she and her staff were saved because it was only by chance that a colleague had entered the building and "sensed" something approaching and ordered the staff to get under a table. The staff was rushed to the hospital but no one suffered major injuries.

Despite the near miss, Ms. Twersky's staff remains undaunted and has managed to deliver 200 meals on the first day, 460 on the second day and will continue to increase the amount.

Throughout the North of Israel, the JDC has launched a massive on-the-ground outreach program to the 29 towns in the affected areas in the North of Israel and in Gaza to ensure that the 10,000 vulnerable elderly will not be abandoned.

By the end of the week, JDC will have delivered more than 8,000 emergency kits (which include flashlight, radio, toiletries and other essentials) to elderly in the North. JDC helped to mobilize a cadre of volunteers to implement these efforts.