Michael Balaban’s Update on the War in Israel

February 23, 2024

– Michael Balaban
President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Hineni – here I am.

This Hebrew biblical phrase is more than just an acknowledgment of physical presence. It is a powerful declaration of availability and readiness. It is a call to action.

It is how I felt when I spoke with our grantee organizations in Israel – assuring them that we are prepared to continue to support them through this unimaginable nightmare, because we have been supporting them since the State of Israel was still just a dream.

While no one could have been emotionally prepared for the massacre on Oct. 7, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has a longstanding infrastructure through our Annual Campaign, committees – such as our Partnership2Gether (P2G) and Emergency Response Committee committees, and a team based in Israel to respond to crises without hesitation.

For over a quarter of a century, we’ve formed and nurtured a strong bond with our P2G communities of Netivot and Sdot Negev, which border Gaza and are subjected to frequent rocket attacks and constant unrest. For decades, through your support, we have invested in these communities, which enabled us to address their security needs, such as surveillance cameras and bomb shelters. This life-saving support, in addition to resiliency resources, positioned our Israeli partnership communities to be able to respond to the massacre. You have helped provide them with the tools already available to begin the process of healing and rebuilding.

As a direct result of your generosity, lay leaders’ commitment and our Israel team’s expertise, we immediately deployed your dollars from the Philly Stands With Israel Emergency Fund to where we know they were most needed.

I am inspired by the work we were able to do on Oct. 7 because we were there on Oct. 6. As you have heard before, you don’t wait for the fire to build the firehouse.

This is why I ask you to consider answering another call to contribute to our annual campaign this Sunday for Super Sunday, our longstanding phone-a-thon fundraiser. On Feb. 25, I hope you will consider helping us maintain this strong foundation we have built in Israel.

As the war persists and the Israeli people look to us for our enduring support, I hope you will join me in continuing to say hineni. Here I am. Here we are. Here we have been, and here we will stay.

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