Israel

In the summer of 2006, one million Israelis were on the front lines as northern Israel was barraged with katyusha rockets in its war with Hezbollah. During this time, JDC joined with the UJC/Federation system and its Israeli partners to bring vital relief to the region's most vulnerable — the elderly, the disabled, and children — and to all sectors of the community. Even now, with a cease-fire in place, the conflict-related needs of those in the fire zone remain great. Many Israelis require immediate assistance as they pick up their lives after over a month in shelters or away from home. At the same time, the prolonged and intense assault has created deeper, more enduring needs that will take months if not years to overcome. The UJC/Federation system has now asked its overseas partners to craft a post-conflict recovery plan. JDC professionals have prepared a range of programs designed to ensure the recovery of the conflict regions — both in the north and in the Gaza border area. The proposed interventions will ensure that Israel will be able to respond effectively to all of its citizens in need — Jews, Moslems, Christians and Druze — and be equipped in the event of renewed conflict. JDC aims to create a stronger, safer, more vibrant Galilee for those returning and for others who want to be a part of a new Galilee. The plan is being reviewed and funding is expected shortly. *** Israel’s economy showed strong signs of improvement in 2005. The economic upturn came despite the ongoing challenges confronting every country; creating a strong government, building a strong economy, stimulating employment, constructing adequate social services — Israel must also deal with a unique set of challenges — namely terrorism, integrating a substantial numbers of immigrants as well as unifying a polarized population. Though the country’s economy improved, poverty remained at near-record levels, afflicting some 25% of the elderly and 30% of children. This apparent paradox reflects a fundamental shift in government policy away from entitlements as the primary poverty-fighting tool, in favor of programs to help the impoverished become more independent. Unfortunately, these developmental assistance programs are not yet in place. JDC plays a special role in responding to these challenges by working to improve existing services and developing new ones. JDC works directly with Israeli agencies in implementing a "strategic intervention". This approach brings a new level of effectiveness by empowering Israelis to assist their fellow citizens in need. JDC programs in Israel are categorized into six different groups; People in Crisis, Youth and Families, Elderly, Vulnerable Communities, Women , and Community Builders. People in Crisis The government's policy shift in combating poverty has impacted citizens across the board. The "chronically jobless" — those facing barriers to entering the workforce leaving them dependent on entitlements — have been affected the most; many have reached a crisis point. The chronically jobless come from diverse communities but share common denominators of social barriers to the workplace. Immigrants: Poor Hebrew skills, unfamiliarity with the norms of the Israeli workplace, and under-achievement in school are the main factors hindering immigrants and their children in finding and keeping gainful employment. People with Disabilities: Of some 230,000 Israelis aged 18-65 who receive disability benefits, only 15% have jobs. Along with the inherent challenges their disabilities pose, disabled Israelis also face social obstacles that impede their ability to find work. Haredim: Legal and religious barriers impede this highly educated community from finding adequate employment. Arab-Israelis: Some 267,000 Druze and Arabs of working age do not participate in the workforce. Their lack of Hebrew and distinct traditional cultures hinder their access to Israel's economic mainstream. Young Adults: Almost one-third of Israelis not in the workforce are between the ages of 22 and 34. Most come from disadvantaged backgrounds. While two-thirds of them have at least twelve years of education, the culture of dependency in which they have grown up presents social barriers to employment. In response to this crisis, JDC in partnership with the Government of Israel have launched the From Poverty to Independence Initiative to help these chronically unemployed Israelis overcome the barriers they face and live self-sufficient lives. Youth & Families Of the 2.3 million children between the ages of 0-18 who live in Israel, 350,000 — or one in every six — youngsters are neglected, abused or otherwise at-risk. Each year, 2,400 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms as a result of domestic violence, some 8,600 children are removed from their homes because of abuse or severe neglect. Another 24,000 are in care of Child Protection Officers. JDC estimates that 26,500 teenagers (15-17 years old) have dropped out of school and do not work. These children and teens must be helped if they are to overcome the tragedies of their lives and become healthy and productive members of society. Through the Ashalim initiative, JDC and the Israeli government are working together to help these children and teens overcome the tragedies of their lives so that they may become healthy and productive members of society. Elderly By 2005, 682,000 people over the age of 65 lived in Israel, constituting almost 10 percent of the total population. Israel’s elderly population increased dramatically from 1988 — 1998 as tens of thousands of elderly Jews from the former Soviet Union made aliyah. Some 100,000 of the immigrants from the former Soviet Union have more severe disabilities and health care needs than other elderly. By the end of 2005, 16 percent of Israel's elderly were classified as disabled and 20 percent were dependent on welfare assistance. The number of Israel's elderly will increase at twice the rate of the general population, underscoring the need for cost-effective programs that provide quality care. JDC and the Israeli government have developed JDC-ESHEL: The Association for the Planning and Development of Services for the Aged in Israel, in response to this urgent need. The goal of JDC-ESHEL is to enhance the quality of life for all elderly Israelis through a basket of services addressing their most pressing needs. Vulnerable Communities The 1990s brought an influx of immigration, totaling 1 million olim. Adapting to life in a new country is a challenge for any immigrant. Ethiopian-Israelis have a more difficultly than their fellow immigrants due to the drastic cultural differences, resulting in long-term absorption problems. Many of the 105,000 Ethiopian-Israelis are suffering great financial hardships. In 2005, 55 percent of Ethiopian-Israeli men did not work. A majority of their children cannot keep up with their peers in school. The youngest, aged 3 and younger, are often not enrolled in educational care facilities, resulting in their entering school already behind their native peers. As the Ethiopian-Israeli community struggles with these challenges, hundreds of new Felas Mora arrive each month — falling into the same cycle of poverty. The new UJC initiative, Operation Promise, will work in support of the Israeli government’s decision to bring this community to Israel by providing a programmatic safety net for both the newly arriving immigrants as well as the Ethiopian-Israelis who are already there. Operation Promise is run in partnership between JDC, the Jewish Agency and the Ethiopian National Project. JDC is also working to expand its existing programs for Ethiopian-Israelis by targeting the core issues — education, employment and social challenges. These programs are working to ensure a successful long term integration of both new immigrants and the incumbent community. Similar to the Ethiopian-Israelis, the Kavkazim community is also experiencing formidable integration challenges. Many of the 80,000 Kavkazim (Jews from the Caucasus Mountain region of the former Soviet Union) can not read Hebrew, approximately 30% have difficulty speaking. It is estimated that as many as 50% of working-age Kavkazim adults are unemployed. JDC is committed to helping these vulnerable communities achieve a full and successful transition to Israeli life. Women While much of JDC’s work in Israel targets the neediest populations — elderly, children-at-risk, people with disabilities, the chronically unemployed and immigrant populations with great integration challenges, there are also programs geared toward groups across these general classifications. JDC’s extensive work among Israel’s women is just such a case. Programs that work to strengthen women as individuals and leaders have proven to be one of the most effective strategies toward furthering JDC’s larger goal of helping the country overcome the many social challenges it faces. In 2005, the majority of Kavkazi women and Ethiopian-Israeli women were unemployed. Women from the former Soviet Union, the ultra-Orthodox community and the Arab sector all experience difficulty finding jobs. A mere 24% of disabled Israeli women are employed — compared with 40% of their male counterparts. By helping these Israeli women break through the obstacles in their way, doors to new hope and opportunity — for themselves and for those around them open. Community Builders JDC’s work as a community builder in Israel is unique in many ways. While the main goal of our community building in many other countries is to establish self-sufficient Jewish communities — no such need exists in Israel. JDC’s community building efforts in Israel are aimed at helping the entire society find new, better, more effective ways of caring for its’ fellow citizens needs — Israelis helping Israelis. We work to enhance the country’s social services by identifying the unmet needs of Israel’s most vulnerable citizens and by providing tools that will help Israel address their needs. When aliyah turned suddenly from a trickle to a flood in the early 1990s, Israel’s social services were put under enormous strain, as the national government was responsible for almost all social services. The government reassessed the situation and formulated a solution involving the transfer of responsibility for many of these services to agencies that could do the job more effectively. Local government and the voluntary sector took on these roles. While many Israelis benefited from the expanded role of nonprofits, the programs have not yet reached there full potential. The need for leadership training within the nonprofit sector will help these nonprofit agencies be a more effective force. JDC is working to working to create and run training programs for senior professionals and policymakers in the public and non-profit sector. These programs will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Israel’s social service infrastructure leading to an improved quality of life for Israelis. Ongoing assessment of the overall effectiveness of Israel’s social service policies and programs is an essential component of JDC’s work in this arena. Without it, initiatives can too easily be misdirected, programs duplicated, resources wasted. Crucial research in five key social fields — aging, health, immigrant absorption, disability, and children and youth — must be maintained to design the most effective solutions to unmet needs. The twin security and economic crisis have stretched the Israeli government’s resources almost to the breaking point. Budget cuts for social services have been inevitable. The impartial research that JDC provides through the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute and the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies identifies strategic social developments for action by Israeli policymakers and the general public is critical. It must continue to be available to foster informed debate on social policy in the areas of education, health, personal welfare and economic policy as the government struggles to meet its critical needs. March 2006