Backed by the UK community and in coordination with Israeli authorities, World Jewish Relief provides vital humanitarian assistance to both sides of the conflict
July 16, 2025 10:58
We all know the cliché, “Two Jews, three opinions”. There is perhaps something inevitable about this. But as we confront the challenges of the last 21 months, it’s also true that our greatest strength lies in the power of a united community, expressing many shared Jewish values.
Who can deny that, for nearly two years now, we have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and solidarity. Since Hamas’ brutal terror hit Israel on October 7th, our communal unity has offered a ray of light in the darkness.
World Jewish Relief joined the outstanding Jewish communal response by swiftly scaling up our support for Israelis traumatised by the violence. We are providing vital emotional first aid, helping people displaced from their homes process stress, shock, and fear so that they can rebuild their lives. We are very proud that through the original partnership we established with the Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) to bring Israeli psychological expertise to help victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have now supported many Israelis themselves with both direct therapy and trauma resilience training to psychologists on the front line of care.
With the support of additional funds from dedicated specific donors, we have also been able to provide critical health care in Gaza through a trusted global humanitarian responder. This work has, over the last year, provided support to mothers needing antenatal and postnatal care; young children experiencing malnutrition and respiratory infections; and vaccinating infants against polio. This critical project has helped deliver more than 3,200 babies safely, provided specialised care to 240 newborns, and treated more than 35,000 children suffering malnutrition, respiratory infections, and other health conditions.
This work, authorised and encouraged by Israel’s COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), continues to save innocent lives under extremely challenging circumstances, and we are now extending our support to a trusted Israeli humanitarian organisation – who we have worked alongside for many years – to procure critical medicines and medical supplies for onward delivery to three COGAT-approved organisations in Gaza.
COGAT is an arm of the Israel Defence Forces that uniquely reports directly to the Ministry of Defence, mandated to coordinate all civilian issues in Gaza and the West Bank between the Government of Israel, the Israel Defence Forces, bi-lateral partners, international organisations, diplomats, and the Palestinian Authority among other counterparts. It operates under fully approved Israeli government policy.
The words of Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis highlight the importance of this cooperation:
“I am pleased to endorse the World Jewish Relief humanitarian initiative, which is deserving of all our support. I recently met the Colonel who leads COGAT, the IDF unit which has approved the agencies that World Jewish Relief will be using for their humanitarian projects in Gaza. On behalf of the Israeli government, COGAT ensures that humanitarian aid reaches the civilians who need it. I have heard first-hand how vital and complex these undertakings are.”
The field hospitals supported by this aid do not employ Gazan Ministry of Health staff and do not treat armed combatants. Their focus is solely on providing urgent healthcare for women and children in need.
What makes our activities in both Israel, Gaza and around the world so impactful is the collective support of Jewish community member organisations and leaders. The endorsement from across the Jewish community including the Office of the Chief Rabbi, the United Synagogue, Masorti Judaism, Progressive Judaism, the S&P Sephardi Community, UJS, the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council has been inspiring.
A united community is also a shield against the hatred and antisemitism around us. We must never give in to violence and intimidation. At the same time, we must not let these challenges define the limits of our Jewish values.
I will conclude by sharing the joint statement of Keith Black and Phil Rosenberg, Chair of The Jewish Leadership Council and President of the Board of Deputies respectively, which succinctly captures the essence of our shared commitment:
“These are painful times, with so many in Israel and in our own community suffering from the prolonged trauma of October 7th. But in challenging times, it is even more essential to uphold our core Jewish values and support those who need it. We are proud to stand behind World Jewish Relief's efforts to provide vital humanitarian assistance in Gaza in cooperation with Israeli authorities. This response reflects our community's steadfast commitment to relieving suffering wherever it is found, even in the most difficult of circumstances."
As our attention focuses on the ceasefire negotiations, we stand united in prayer for the immediate return of all the hostages; United in our determination to stand up and defend ourselves; and united in our Jewish commitment to respond to wider human suffering.
Maurice Helfgott is the Chairman of World Jewish Relief
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