Federation's overseas agencies not immune to economic crisis

As much as the South Jersey Jewish community is suffering from the economic downturn striking the United States, the Jewish community in Israel and the former Soviet Union (FSU) are faring far worse, according to representatives from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and other international partners.

During a recent conference call with the Federations of North America, Prof. Jack Habib projected that by the end of this year, the needs in Israel will increase substantially. Habib is the Director of the Myers- JDC-Brookdale Institute, which is the leading center for applied social research serving Israel and the Jewish world.

An 8% unemployment rate in Israel is projected for 2009, according to Habib, as well as lower wages for those already employed and further cutbacks for lower wage industries.

Reports from the Jewish Agency for Israel show over 700,000 children living below the poverty in Israel with 100,000 of them going to bed hungry every night. Increasing needs across the entire social services sector in Israel is coupled with a dramatic decline in charitable dollars from both American and Israeli donors, according to Habib. The result is an ever-widening gap between the number of people needing assistance and the available resources to meet their needs.

A more desperate situation exists in the former Soviet Union, reports Mark B. Levin, executive director of the National Council of Soviet Jewry (NCSJ). Levin is one of the organized Jewish community's leading experts on national and international political and legislative issues.

The Jews in the former Soviet Union are in dire need of social services, he reported.

They are not only receiving fewer dollars from the North American Jewish community, they are also receiving fewer aid dollars from Russian Jewish oligarchs, reports Levin. Vital Jewish services such as Jewish schools, Hesed (welfare) centers, and programs for the homebound elderly are receiving less support and are at risk of being eliminated.

JDC is currently able to assist only 170,000 Jewish elderly in the former Soviet Union. Medical and homecare needs have been especially hard hit. One heart-wrenching example is the availability of products for incontinent Jewish seniors.

Prior to the economic downturn, funding was available for seven adult diapers per week per senior. With today's decreased funding, that number is down to three diapers per week.

JDC and JAFI receive a total of nearly $1 million each year from the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey's annual campaign to support a wide range of social service, educational and humanitarian programs in Israel, the FSU and 60 countries worldwide. Increased and new contributions to the 2009 annual campaign are critically needed to insure this continued funding to our overseas partners, as well as to the many local agencies and organizations supported by Federation.

To make your 2009 annual campaign commitment, visit the Federation website or call 751-9500, ext. 214. .