organizations active on the ground. We measured and evaluated our daily activities to optimize our responses and tailor them to the evolving needs of the children and youth. The Yeladenu Operation would not have been possible without cooperation with leading partners from philanthropy and the business and private sectors. Our partners’ readiness to quickly join forces with the Operation, their personal involvement, the great contributions they brought to the discussions and consultations, their genuine
Leadership in Times of Emergency – Statement by the Chairman of Sheatufim and Zionism 2000 On Saturday, the morning of the Simchat Torah holiday, I awakened, like all Israeli citizens, to an atrocious attack like no other. The grievous news of the heinous, horrific crimes perpetrated against men, women and children in Southern Israel, the abduction of hundreds of Israelis from their homes, entire communities erased, and murderers taking over IDF bases, left me, and all of us, forever heartbroken. Together with the immense pain, an understanding arose that the State of Israel would need to cope with unprecedented challenges. I comprehended that we could not stand idle for even a single day and that we, Sheatufim and Zionism 2000, must join forces and embark together on an emergency operation to benefit those impacted by the tragedy. The next morning we already prepared for action. We conducted site visits, discussions, and consultations with various individuals, following which we concluded that our activity should focus on strengthening the resilience of children and youth on the front lines. We believed, and continue to believe, that the resilience of children and youth, our next generation, is the infrastructure for creating a better future and rehabilitating the State of Israel. Our previous experience leading emergency operations, such as the “Veshamarta” operation during the Covid pandemic, sustained our confidence in our ability to coordinate efforts, and organize rapidly and effectively to provide immediate solutions. Indeed, within just a few days we had recruited a committed and devoted team, and within just a few weeks temporary resilience centers in the Dead Sea area and Eilat were established and commenced activity, providing a significant support for thousands of children and youth from Southern Israel and their families. In addition to the management and operational capabilities needed to lead an emergency operation of this scope, we brought with us the working principles that guide us in our regular operations, as home for Collective Impact. We acted continually in full coordination and cooperation with government ministries, the local authorities of the areas that had been evacuated as well as the host areas and their professional departments, the resilience centers, organizations specializing in resilience and trauma, youth organizations and movements, and many other
concern, and the resources they invested, were and remain the force that drives us. Thirteen months have passed since the day we embarked on this Operation, and the State of Israel remains in the midst of one of the hardest periods it has ever known. The war against a cruel enemy which takes an unbearable toll, the hostages still in Gaza, and the system’s struggles to respond as needed, all keep us awake at night. At the same time, one cannot help but be awestruck by civil society’s impressive mobilization and professionalism, as expressed by its swift organization to provide the necessary emergency response. From within the darkness that engulfed children and youth who experienced the worst imaginable, I am proud to say that through the Yeladenu Operation we have brought comfort to thousands. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to our partners for their cooperation and faith, as well as to our staff for their dedicated hard work. The operation’s achievements warm our hearts, yet we understand there is still a long road ahead. As experienced, leading social organizations, we at Sheatufim and Zionism 2000 have a responsibility to harness our strengths to remain active. We are committed to continue working with the children and youth, the communities, and their leadership in the South in their long and winding path to rehabilitation and growth, as well as to act steadfastly to rebuild Northern Israel. We will do this, as always, by uniting all the relevant actors into a single force cooperating to help the State of Israel rise again.
Ronny Douek Chairman, Sheatufim and Zionism 2000
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