With the situation in Israel evolving, not just day to day, but often minute to minute, access to the latest information about the crisis in the Middle East is especially important. The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston helps keep our community connected to the people and the State of Israel throughout the year in a myriad of ways:
Social Service Programs and Other Critical Services
Our Community Partners provide a wide variety of social service programs and other critical assistance to the elderly, children and families at-risk, new immigrants, and other vulnerable populations throughout Israel:
In Yoseftal and Dado, two economically-disadvantaged neighborhoods of the Tel Aviv suburb of Petach Tikvah, the Federation's Partnership 2000 initiative has provided vital support that has helped transform the neighborhoods and empower their residents to create better lives for themselves, their families, and the entire community. During the past 20+ years, with the assistance of our Community Partner, The Jewish Agency for Israel, the Jewish community of Houston has reached out to help establish community centers, where the neighborhoods' children, teens, and adults alike gather to socialize and learn year-round through a variety of cultural, educational, and recreational activities. Our community's long-standing relationship with the residents of Yoseftal and Dado is entering a new phase this year as women from Houston and Yoseftal and Dado will be working together to create programming that addresses critical social issues such as domestic violence and adolescent sexuality. This past January, five representatives from Yoseftal and Dado spent a week in Houston, where they visited a variety of local agencies and organizations which focus on those two issues, including Houston Area Women’s Center, Planned Parenthood, Aid for Victims of Domestic Violence, and Jewish Family Service (JFS), where they learned about the JFS’ Shalom Bayit program. The information gleened from these visits will be used in the development of related programming in Yoseftal and Dado.
In Neurim, which is located just outside Netanya, the Federation's partnership with Hadassah and The Jewish Agency for Israel has enhanced programming at the Hadassah Neurim Youth Aliyah Village, a residential school for at-risk teens. Here, the teens are able to continue their studies in a nurturing environment, which offers them a host of other critical services, including counseling, vocational training, and other activities designed to help them achieve success in school and in life.
Our Community Relations Committee offers community briefings, which educate and inform people about such relevant issues as terrorism, Israeli politics, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. For more information, click here.
