Jewish Agency Presents NIS 50 Million Aid Package to Residents of Southern Israel

The Jewish Agency for Israel has developed a NIS 50 million ($13.22 million) aid package to help the communities of Israel’s south recover from this summer’s hostilities, thanks to contributions from the Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod-UIA, and other donors.

The aid package includes a series of programs aimed at enabling the communities of southern Israel, particularly those closest to the border with Gaza, to expand their population bases and support a range of groups with an investment of NIS 25 million. It also includes NIS 25 million worth of aid extended to the residents of the South during the summer’s hostilities.

The aid package being developed includes scholarships for local students, assistance to local businesses, grants for victims of rocket attacks, the construction of bomb shelters, and support for new immigrants and IDF lone soldiers. These initiatives join a range of programs run by The Jewish Agency during the summer’s hostilities, including taking some 75,000 children and teenagers for recreational activities outside the line of fire.

This week, The Jewish Agency will present some 1,300 students within four kilometers of the Gaza border with scholarships aimed at offsetting the cost of rent and drawing young people to the area. The scholarships, funded by the Jewish Federations of North America and individual Jewish Federations, will be awarded to students studying at one of the academic institutions in the area or residing in the region. Each student will be provided with a scholarship of more than NIS 5,700 ($1,500).