Page 13 - Roxanne Aubrey Marina

The Jewish Agency For Israel (JAFI)
Since 1929, The Jewish Agency for Israel has worked to secure a vibrant Jewish future.
The Jewish Agency was instrumental in founding and building the State of Israel and we continue to serve as the main link between the Jewish state and Jewish communities everywhere. This global partnership has enabled us to address the Jewish People’s greatest challenges in every generation.
Today, we connect the global Jewish family, bringing Jews to Israel, and Israel to Jews. We build a better society in Israel—and beyond— energizing young Israelis and their worldwide peers to rediscover a collective sense of Jewish purpose. The Jewish Agency continues to be the Jewish world’s first responder, prepared to rescue and bring Jews home to Israel from countries where they are at-risk.
The Jewish Agency’s Work in Greece
As it has been for 85 years, The Jewish Agency for Israel is the primary vehicle by which the Jewish world confronts threats to the fabric of Jewish unity and capitalizes on opportunities to build a stronger and more connected Jewish People.
In the wake of Greece’s debilitating financial crises, The Jewish Agency and its partners stepped in to help ensure that the Jewish community of Greece could continue their communal Jewish life, and continue providing their children with Jewish educations.
The Jewish Agency’s Emergency Assistance Fund, which provides funding to Jewish communities in regions experiencing high volatility and/or possible violence, in particular for security measures, approved the following allocations to Greek institutions:
2012:
>>100,000 for the Athens Jewish Community School
>>40,000 for institutions in Salonika, includ- ing the Jewish school, synagogue, mu- seum, and Senior center
>>25,000 for the synagogue in Volos >>25,000 for the children’s Jewish education
program in Larissa
2013:
More than $64,000 for institutions in Salonika, including the community center, synagogue, and youth center.
>>25,000 for the synagogue, community center, and Holocaust memorial in Athens
(As of the time of this writing in June 2014, additional requests from Athens and Volos are in the review process, and decisions are pending.)
Additional support through The Jewish Agency during this time period provided a range of services to help the community continue to thrive, for example:
>>Salaries of four Hebrew language teachers and one Jewish history teacher*
>>Scholarships for children attending the Community Jewish School*
>>6th-grade trip to Israel *
>>Coverage for a Jewish Agency community
shlichah to serve in Greece
>>Full coverage for four camp Shlichim to staff the Jewish summer camp in Salonika
>>Preliminary (and continuing) plans to “twin” the Athens Community School with a Jew- ish school in Northern New Jersey, through the Global School Twinning Network.
* through the Cha’il Israel Education Abroad program
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