SWC Humanitarian Mission Delivers Aid to Frontline Israeli Communities

August 8, 2006

SWC Humanitarian Mission Delivers Aid to Frontline Israeli Communities; $650,000 Raised for Distribution in Israel

Center Officials Bring Aid and Messages of Solidarity to Beleaguered Israeli Civilians in
Haifa, Nahariyah, Sderot, Safed and Kiryat Shemona.

Through the generosity of funds raised through the Center's Israel Emergency Campaign, the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Humanitarian Mission to Israel distributed 100% of the $615,000 U.S. dollars raised to Israeli citizens in need.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, the Center's dean and founder, led the Humanitarian Mission which distributed the funds to hospitals, rehab centers and shelters under fire in the north and south of the country, including Arab-Israeli communities.  The Center's Mission also met with top government officials including Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

Along with Rabbi Hier, the Wiesenthal Center delegation was led by Rabbis Abraham Cooper and Meyer H. May associate dean and executive director (respectively) and  included Center trustees and Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss.

 

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Day 1

 

Town Under Siege: Sderot has been hit with over 1,000 kassam rockets.  Mayor Moyal shows one that fell in his backyard to Rabbi Hier, Rabbi Cooper and John Fishel, Los Angeles Jewish Federation President.	L-R:  Rabbi Marvin Hier, Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal and Rabbi Abraham Cooper. Mayor Moyal receives a grant from the SWC to assist traumatized children of the embattled community a mile from the border with Gaza.

 

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Day 2

 

 

The Israeli-Arab town of Mughar, north of Tiberias that has also been hit by Hezbollah's Katushya rockets.	Center officials express condolences to friends and family of Druze teenage girl killed by a Hezbollah Katushya.
Wiesenthal Center officials express condolences to Wassin Abbas whose 15 year-old sister Da'ava was killed by a direct hit of the family's living room in the largely Druze community, Mughar, north of Tiberias.  Pictured with Mr. Abbas, Rabbi Marvin Hier dean and founder of the Wiesenthal Center and Rabbi Abraham Cooper.	Rabbi Hier presents a check to the head of the Mughar Council Ziad Dagash to establish an educational project memorializing 15 year-old Da'ava Abbas.
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Tzefat community activist Linda Stern (center) watches as Rabbi May prepares a grant to computerize efforts to track the elderly residents too ill to evacuate. Pictured R-L: LA City Councilman Jack Weiss, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Linda Stern and a community volunteer.	Damage to Tzefat apartments from deadly ball bearings unleashed by a Katushya rocket. The ball-bearings are produced in Syria, hundreds are packed into each rocket and are designed to murder and maim victims in large radius of impact area.
Binny Shalev, left, former head of Tzefat Foundation and other community activists brief SWC delegation about extensive damage form the onslaught of the hundreds of rocket attacks.
Rabbi Shmuel Eliahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzefat	L-R: LA Councilman Jack Weiss, Rabbi Eliahu, Rabbi Hier, Rabbi May
Officials of Sieff Hospital in Tzefat greet LA Councilman Jack Weiss and SWC delegation. the Hospital is a frontline medical facility servicing the embattled citizens of Northern Israel.	Dr. Oscar Embon, Director Rebecca Sieff Hopsital receives a grant from SWC delegation to cover the costs of repairing damage to Hospital from a direct hit by a Katushya rocket.
Surveying damage to Hashmonaim Street in beleagured Kiryat Shemona.	Bus bench in Kiryat Shemona riddled with holes left by ball-bearing laden Katusha rockets.
A t-shirt from "The Terminator" brings a smile to a boy in Kiryat Shemona.	Rabbi Cooper assists the Yeshivat Hesder in Kiryat Shemona to distribute food to the residents of bomb shelters.
"Home" for these families for the past 3 weeks - 3 flights underground.	SWC delegation distributes some of the 200 t-shirts donated by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Wiesenthal Center Trustee and Holocaust survivor, Sol Teichman with Kiryat Shemona residents forced to live in underground shelters.

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Day 3

 

Visiting injured at Haifa's Rambam Hospital.	Haifa's reknowned Medical Center hurriedly relocated labor and delvery services to their basement for protection from attacks.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav receives a grant on behalf of Haifa Foundation humanitarian projects.	Haifa Mayor wioth local Arab and Jewish leaders and SWC delegation.
With former General Yosi Peled who was in charge of northern Israel's security, now Israeli-TV analyst. General Peled is a child survivor of the Holocaust.	With Mayor of Nahariya, Jacky Sabag, (in black shirt), the northern city has absorbed over 400 Katushyas from Hezbollah. The SWC delegation was rushed three stories underground to City Hall's Emergency Command Center. Also pictured (in green shirt) is retired General Peled, Dr. Edward Zalis (far left) and David Ross (far right).

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Day 4

 

A Beit Shemesh supply room.	Beit Shemesh, a city outside Jerusalem has absorbed over 500 families from northern communities without any government assistance.
Rabbi Hier presents Deputy Mayor Shalom Lerner with a grant from Lema'an Achai humanitarian group servicing the evacuees.	SWC delegation confers with Israel Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni about latest devlopments in the war with Hezbollah. Pictured on right Minister Livni, Ido Aharoni and Aviva Schecter, Senior Foreign Ministry officials and (R-L) Rabbis Abraham Cooper, Marvin Hier, Meyer May.