Dear friends,

So many of the people we talk to carry with them a round-the-clock anxiety. The world seems more filled than ever with turmoil, scarcity and suffering. There are days when we want to just disappear into some Enchanted Forest where discord is long forgotten and all is well.

Then, perhaps with a sigh and a strong cup of coffee, we begin our day. While trying to earn a living, raise a family and keep ourselves from going insane, we look for something WE can do to help alleviate suffering and restore hope.

The Jonah Maccabee Foundation may not find that Enchanted Forest but everyday we are enchanted by the courage and resilience of good folks who are trying to make a difference. We seek them out and, in partnership with YOU, award grants of financial assistance that assist these verifiable heroes in continuing their valiant labors.

With abundant gratitude for your support, here’s how we have used your donations thus far in 2024:

OF SPECIAL MENTION — THANK YOU TO BOB ALPER: This past February, we hosted a house concert featuring comedian Bob Alper who generously donated his fee to The Jonah Maccabee Foundation to support Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 tragedy. We raised $10,000 and immediately sent out (always on your behalf) a slough of grants. We also dug into our savings to send additional humanitarian aid into Gaza. Here’s how you have helped …

In Israel …

• IsraAID … partnering with local organizations and civil society initiatives in Israel’s south, focusing on psychosocial support, stress relief activities, and relief supplies as needed
• Just One Chesed … providing Israeli soldiers and civilians with life-saving medical, tactical, and other essentials
• Friends of IDF … works closely with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to provide for the well-being of its soldiers, veterans, and family members through educational, financial, spiritual, and cultural initiatives
• Rabbis for Human Rights … an Israeli organization that works within the Occupied Territories to promote social and economic justice within Israel
• Parents Circle – Family Forum … a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of over 700 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict there, all of whom believe that reconciliation between nations is a prerequisite to achieving a sustainable peace
• Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Community … ten kibbutzim within a few miles of Gaza that offer pluralistic, egalitarian Jewish cultural and social action activities and, in the aftermath of October 7, care for their emotional well-being as well.
• Road to Recovery … Jewish volunteers meet Palestinians at checkpoints to drive them to Israeli hospitals for much-needed operations … a number of Road to Recovery volunteers were murdered by Hamas on October 7 … the organization continues its mission nonetheless
• Combatants For Peace … Israelis and Palestinians, former fighters on both sides of the conflict, working together to nonviolently bring equality, freedom and peace … nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 and 2018
• World Central Kitchen … partnering with local restaurants across Israel, WCK served meals to people who were displaced from their homes on October 7, and delivered fresh, nourishing meals to the hospitals where returning hostages received checkups and reunited with their families
• Torah Tzedek … an Israeli human rights organization which acts to safeguard Arab and Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valley, West Bank and East Jerusalem
• The Tamari Project … raising funds for Bikurim, the youth village for performing arts (3 miles from the Gaza border), established in 2014 by Tamar Kedem Siman Tov (murdered on October 7) and Sagui Dekel Chen (kidnapped on October 7) … watch their amazing rendition of “Yihiyeh Tov”)

In Gaza …

• American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) … provides humanitarian and development aid to the Middle East, specifically the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Jordan
• World Central Kitchen … despite ongoing and dire risk, WCK’s Palestinian team show up daily, providing more than 100,000 meals each day by land, sea, and air

In Ukraine …

• United Help Ukraine … provides the people of Ukraine with critical humanitarian support (first-aid, food and water) that will enable them to survive in the face of current adversity

And so many other places that need your help …

• Judaism Alive … identifies, trains, promotes, and places young leaders in Jewish organizations throughout North America to keep the spirit of Judaism alive for future generations
• Makom Community … creates family-centered Jewish experiences in Philadelphia
• Animal Love Rescue Center in Costa Rica … a non-profit, no-kill charitable organization, founded on the belief that all animals deserve respectful and loving treatment and must be protected by humans as well as by law
• Harmony Project … provides no-cost, high-quality music instruction and social support to underserved children in low-income communities throughout Los Angeles, motivating them to cultivate their human potential
• National Diaper Network … provides basic necessities required to build the strong foundations all children, families, and individuals need to thrive and reach their full potential
• Creating S.P.A.C.E. … provide a cohesive education program in Denver, CO, that engages communities to embrace all differences and disabilities
• Treehouse Shakers … provides teacher trainings and residencies for students that focus on the art of dance and storytelling
• Lifting Up Westchester Summer Camp and Youth Services … gives children who are experiencing homelessness in Westchester County, New York, a safe space filled with fun and games, plus literacy activities that help them retain the past year’s school lessons, preparing for success when the new school year begins, then stays with them to help ensure success throughout the entire year
• MindLeaps … creates educational paths for vulnerable children by engaging them in fun dance classes that are part of a carefully crafted curriculum to develop key cognitive and social-emotional skills vital to success in school and work

We hope you feel as good about these grants as we do. Thank you so much for supporting our projects. We’re grateful to have you with us as we carry forward Jonah’s legacy — his zest for living and his passion for goodness — and, together, work to improve the lives of young people everywhere.

Wishing you every goodness,
Ellen, Billy, Katie and Aiden
The Jonah Maccabee Foundation

P.S. Your donation is always welcome at jonahmac.org/donate.