“It was supposed to be a joyous Shabbat,” recalls Lilach Dahari, 45, a mother of five from our sister community, Ofakim, as she reflects on October 7. “Yet we woke up to an unimaginable reality.”
Lilach and her family, and all of Ofakim’s 34,000+ residents, are still rebuilding their lives—and the tremendous support of our UJA Annual Campaign helps ensure unity, security, and resilience for the Jewish community.
Response and Transformation
Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ continues to help Israelis access the vital support they need to find comfort and healing.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, Federation was one of the first to respond and mobilize on behalf of survivors. In Ofakim, we reinforced 40 shelters, set up a mobile unit to provide legal, financial, and mental health guidance—and help with governmental services. We created safe spaces for teens at risk and youth on the streets to access critical services. Thanks to our partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), we also sent 60 teens to Jewish sleepaway camps in the US and Europe, so that they could experience respite and cultural exchange, away from the challenges of the ongoing war. We distributed food, drove people to their medical examinations, and helped the elderly get the care they needed.
Support of the Annual Campaign helped 250 people receive family trauma treatment, with hundreds more receiving some type of trauma care.
This is the impact in one city alone!
Imagine the impact our donors have achieved in our other five partner communities and right here in Greater MetroWest. (Well, you don’t have to imagine, because you can click right here, and we’ll show you just how much you accomplished). And none of it would have been achievable without your contribution to the UJA Annual Campaign.
Today, support is more important than ever to address the rise in antisemitism locally and globally and meet the increased needs of our most vulnerable in Israel and here in New Jersey.
Join the Leadership Leap Supporting Resilience for Israelis
The Leadership Leap is a special opportunity as part of our 2025 UJA Annual Campaign to support two special projects:* critical mental health work in Ofakim and increased security personnel at our New Jersey schools, synagogues, and community spaces.
Through the Leadership Leap, you can help support critical services for people like Lilach. The Leadership Leap will help establish a mental health therapy room in the Resilience Center, providing trauma counseling for those most affected, including children and orphans struggling with unimaginable losses. Through these contributions, Federation can support mental health, community healing, and resilience-building initiatives that offer both hope and a path forward.
A Leap for Community Safety at Home
With safety and security needs at an all-time high, the Leadership Leap also strengthens security measures for Jewish institutions in Greater MetroWest NJ. Your support helps provide personnel to protect our community at a critical time. Together, we can remain ready to respond swiftly and effectively to whatever challenges and emergencies come our way.
Join 100+ community members who have taken the Leadership Leap: donate here.
To learn more about our work in Ofakim, please read “Supporting Israel’s Families in Our Partner Communities.”
*The 2025 UJA Annual Campaign runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. Pledges to the 2025 UJA Annual Campaign are payable through December 31, 2025. Remaining funds directed to the Annual Unrestricted Campaign after project goals are met.