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Jewish Federation of St. Louis

Resources and Information on the October 2023 Israel-Hamas War

As things are changing rapidly we’ll do the best we can to provide updated resources and information on Israel.

Take Action

If you missed the March for Israel, you can watch it HERE.

Events

In the NEWS
Click here to find the latest local media stories.

Advocate

  • Wear a Blue Ribbon as part of the #BlueRibbonsForIsrael campaign which symbolizes support and solidarity for the safe return of the hostages taken by Hamas.
  • Tell your federal, state, and local elected officials and representatives to support Israel (via JFNA)
  • Join NCJW’s #VoicesForHostages initiative to free the hostages held by Hamas.
  • Write your local media to share concerns over biased reporting. Outlets have contact information on their websites and we encourage you to speak up.
  • Share our messages. It may seem small, but if you share our posts on Facebook and Instagram you are helping us reach more and more people. If you like it and share it, more people see it!

Donate to help victims of terror, rebuild communities, and protect Israel 

 

Jewish Federations of North America Update

Jewish Federations of North America November 27, 2023

Key Resources From Jewish Federations

  • Join a JDC Webinar, focusing on the organization’s efforts to respond to the current crisis: Wednesday, November 29th at noon (ET). Register here.
  • Arab and Jewish Israelis joint responses: Join this webinar to hear from Shira Ohana and Hanan Alsanah about inspiring joint emergency responses from the earliest days of the war, and what they are doing today to preserve a shared future for all residents of the Negev. November 28, 12 noon ET. Register here.

 Hostage Release

  • See details, photos, and moving videos of hostages being reunited with their families.
  • As part of a deal negotiated by Qatar (with assistance from the United States and Egypt) 39 Israeli hostages have now been released from Hamas captivity and have been reunited with their families in Israel, in three separate groups, over the last three days.
  • As well as the Israeli hostages, some 18 foreign laborers, mainly from Thailand, have also been released, while 15 more Thai workers remain captive.

Israel Defense Forces Operations

  • As part of the hostage deal, Israel has paused all operations in Gaza. The deal also includes six hours per day when Israel suspends drone movement over Gaza.
  • The IDF says that it will continue its war on Hamas, to eliminate the terror organization, as soon as the ceasefire expires.
  • The IDF coordinated the entry of 200 trucks of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, 42 of which were loaded with shelter equipment (see photos). As part of this aid, some 3,600 tons of tents, blankets, and mattresses have been transferred to the civilian population ahead of the winter. Over 2,000 trucks have entered the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, transferring water, food, supplies, and medical equipment.

 International Response

  • US President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with relatives of the 4-year-old Israeli-American who was released from Hamas captivity. Avigail Idan was freed on Sunday, over 50 days after Hamas terrorists murdered her parents in Kibbutz Kfar Azza. Idan saw her mother Smadar killed in front of her and then ran to her father Roee who shielded her with his body as terrorists shot him dead. She then ran to a neighbor’s home, where she was kidnapped along with the others inside.
  • Tech leader and X owner Elon Musk arrived in Israel today to meet with Israeli politicians and victims of the October 7 attacks. Musk visited by Kibbutz Kfar Azza – among the worst hit on October 7 – together with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Musk was shown some of the horrors of the Hamas attack and visited the home of the Israeli-American toddler Avigail Idan, 4, who was kidnapped to Gaza and was released yesterday as part of the hostage deal.

Jewish Federations of North America: Additional Resources

  • Jewish Federations have now raised a total of more than $659 million system-wide and allocated close to $200 million to a wide range of humanitarian organizations in Israel. See our impact stats.
  • Volunteering: Read this update from Jewish Federations on the latest volunteering opportunities in Israel right now.
  • Supporting Pastoral Guidance and Rabbinic Services. Read about the work that Federations are supporting in this field through collective Israel emergency dollars.
  • Local Authorities: Jewish Federations have produced a document answering questions about funding-impacted localities and municipalities in Israel. See here.
  • Map: This site shows a map of the October 7 massacre with a red dot for every person killed and a black dot for every person abducted by Hamas. Clicking on any dot will show the name and picture (if available) of the victim with age and last known location.
  • Read the latest communication from the Community Mobilization Center here.
  • Funders: As many funders struggle to distinguish between the multitudes of organizations looking for important resources, the Jewish Funders Network has produced this thorough page of guidance.
  • Previous updates can be found here.

 

Security

Whenever there are heightened tensions in Israel, we see a rise in antisemitism across the United States. Our community is working tirelessly to ensure that all of our Jewish communal institutions are safe and we are in touch with our partners at schools to provide them resources to respond to any bullying or harassment our students might face. If you do learn of or experience an antisemitic incident, please do not feel that you need to respond on your own. Reach out to the JCRC, report it to the ADL, contact our Community Security Director Scott Biondo, and of course, notify law enforcement.

Additional Resources

PJ Library Resources

Please make use of the resources PJ Library offers to help you navigate difficult events with kids. Here are a few that could be useful right now: