Since the crisis in Israel broke out on Oct. 7 – one of the darkest days in modern Israeli history – the Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration (WJCI) has supported Israelis who have temporarily relocated to the Westchester and New York City areas by coordinating emergency support, including housing, medical, dental, community connections, and addressing other urgent needs, while mobilizing local volunteers to help..
To date, UJA-Federation of New York has allocated more than $71 million to support the people of Israel. WJCI is a recipient of a UJA grant to assist in this effort in the Westchester/Hudson Valley. It has been using the allocated funds granted to help displaced Israelis needing temporary assistance after fleeing danger and has been urgently responding to requests since Oct. 7. In addition, local volunteers have donated clothing, use of automobiles, computers, and other essential items to help ease displaced Israelis whose lives were uprooted on the day of the attacks.
Since December 2021, WJCI has mobilized the local Jewish community to welcome refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. As a result of that work, a network of resources, volunteers, synagogues and local organizations is now available to WJCI to support displaced Israelis.
“We gently shifted our mission after Oct. 7 to enable us to help displaced Israelis. WJCI uses an ethics-based framework to mobilize our community to channel obligation into action, and we decided that it is our responsibility as a Jewish organization to stand up for our brothers and sisters in Israel who are suffering,” said Holly Rosen Fink, president and co-founder of WJCI. “The response from community members combined with our ability to help financially because of the grant from UJA has been powerful. It has been a glimmer of hope for all of us during these dark times.”
WJCI has held two events at JCC Mid-Westchester for displaced Israelis, providing them with a socialization opportunity and a way to learn about available resources.
Other partners in this work have included The Westchester Jewish Council, Common Point Queens, Congregation Rodeph Shalom, Scarsdale Synagogue, The Jewish Board, Hebrew Free Loan Society, Chabads of Chappaqua, Pleasantville, and Armonk, Neighbors for Refugees, WJCS, and others. WJCI is also part of a local collaboration called B’Yachad Westchester, which came together to help families during this challenging transition.
Many of the families WJCI helped early on in the war have gone back to Israel; others who live in parts of Israel that have been shattered or remain under threat are still living here.
