Anglos, Mevaseret help refugees

AACI, seeking host families, has sent an e-mail newsletter to more than 6000 members.

By YAEL WOLYNETZ
july 4 88 (photo credit: )
july 4 88
(photo credit: )
Anglo immigrant associations have been working to help residents of the North in the face of the ongoing rocket attacks there. The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel has sent an e-mail newsletter to more than 6,000 members asking for help for their campaign to provide temporary housing for families seeking refuge from the barrages. "Many volunteers have already contacted us offering their hospitality to families of the North," said AACI spokeswoman Josie Arbel. "At this stage, we are sort of on standby, waiting for our contacts in the North to let us know how we can be of service to those families," Arbel said. For more information, contact AACI at (02) 566-1181, ext. 320, or at info@aaci.org.il. United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA), which represents Jews from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, has acted quickly since the crisis. "Ever since the UJIA has been linked with the communities of Shlomi, Merom Hagalil and Ma'aleh Yosef because of the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000 Campaign linking cities in Israel with cities abroad, the UJIA has had a special relationship with communities of the Galil, and are deeply invested in helping out during this crisis," said Natie Shevel, UJIA regional director. UJIA has been raising money to buy educational toys for families in the North and to send children to day camps in communities out of range of the Hizbullah rockets. "Because of our dedication to the education of youngsters, our initiatives concentrate on helping the children who have been involved in the crisis," said Shevel. To donate in Israel, contact Shevel at (052) 357-2162, and in the UK, call (02O) 8-369-5000. Telfed, which represents Jews from South Africa, is offering assistance on an individual basis. "Our main concern is to contact our new olim to the north and make sure that they understand the situation and have all of the necessities," said Nomi Heim, director of professional services for Telfed. "We pride ourselves in having individuals from our office calling up and offering personalized assistance to our connections in the North," Heim said. Telfed is also helping seniors who live in northern communities with transportation and escorts to medical appointments. For more information about this program, contact Nomi at (09) 744-6110, ext. 219. It is not only the Anglo associations that are taking the initiative to assist families affected by the violence. Mevaseret Zion Mayor Carmi Gilon appealed Sunday to residents to "open up their homes and their hearts to host citizens from Israel's North." The Mevaseret Zion local council offering hospitality to families or individuals who want to relocate. The community hopes to encourage people to come by offering a day camp for children from northern cities, "to keep them entertained so that it will be nice and fun for them," said council spokesman Aryeh Appel. He said the council had arranged for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel to organize the camp when the children from the North arrive. For information about this initiative, call Efrat at (02) 534-9781.