4 | JUNE 6 • 2024 
J
N

A 

complaint, (or 
maybe frustration is a 
better word), I often 
hear from our very dedicated 
and extremely passionate lay 
leaders is that the general pub-
lic is not aware 
of the good work 
that Federation 
dollars do in 
Israel. 
People don’t 
know that the 
$9 million 
Federation allocates to Israel 
& Overseas (I & O) supports 
dozens of programs and thou-
sands of people all around the 
world but, especially, in Israel. 
People do not know that, 
with an eye to the future, 
the Gertzman Committee very 
intentionally chose Shared 

Society as the primary focus 
area of this year’s grants. To 
learn more about it, read 
jewishdetroit.org/photo- 
israel-a-2024-2025-abraham-
gertzman-fund-supported-
program. 
Recently, Israel21c ran a 
story titled “The 48,” which 
introduces the reader to 48 
changemakers in Israel. As I 
was reading through, I was 
fascinated to find I could con-
nect the dots between Detroit 
and many, many, many of the 
people spotlighted.
To highlight a few:
Yaron Waksman of the 
nonprofit HaGal Sheli (My 
Wave). This is a program that 
Detroit has proudly supported 
for a very long time. Yaron is a 
very good friend of ours, and 
he has a soft spot for Detroit, 
which was an earlier champi-
on of their work with troubled 
teens. We also recently gave 
them an Israel Emergency 
Grant for the way they pivoted 
to work with over 1,000 vic-
tims of Oct. 7.
Israel’s Reserve Soldiers. In 
the days after Oct. 7, many 
young Detroiters and, of 
course, many of our Israeli 

friends, like former Shlichim 
Eviatar Baskis, Yiftah Leket 
and ShinShin Michal Neuman, 
entered into the IDF Reserves. 
Federation and Foundation 
presidents, Gary Torgow and 
Michael Berger, and CEO 
Steven Ingber leapt into action 
as well, directing yet unraised 
emergency dollars to support 
these units that were up and 
running immediately with-
out any necessary provisions 
(boots, jackets, cell phone 
chargers, bottled water, etc.)
Dr. Khalil Bakly — a res-
ident of Nof Hagalil, one of 
our three Partnership 2Gether 
municipalities — is also a 
longtime social and political 
activist who is advocating for 
a shared Arab-Jewish life more 
intently than ever after Oct. 7.
Brothers & Sisters in Arms 
(now Brothers and Sisters 
for Israel and Hostages & 
Missing Families Forum), both 

received Israel of Emergency 
Funds and both were visited 
by our solidarity missions.
Danielle Abraham from 
ReGrow Israel, Talia Levanon 
from Israel Trauma Coalition, 
Joseph Gitler from Leket and 
Mohammad Darawshe from 
Gavat Haviva — all organiza-
tions Detroit has supported.
Also worth mentioning, 
another one of “The 48” is Ella 
Rose Azaria, spotlighted for 
her work as a certified mas-
ter swimming coach to help 
Israeli internal refugees cope 
with trauma and anxiety, is a 
former Detroiter.
It is our mission to continue 
to connect these dots for you, 
our Detroit Jewish community, 
so that you can learn about 
where your Israel & Overseas 
dollars are going and the good 
work they are accomplishing. 
As a supporter of the Jewish 
Federation of Detroit, you 
should be proud of the work that 
you are contributing to as we 
strive to take care of needs and 
build a vibrant Jewish future. 

Jennifer Levine is senior director 

at Federation’s Israel & Overseas 

Department.

essay
Your Federation Dollars at Work in Israel

Jennifer 
Levine

PURELY COMMENTARY

Solidarity Mission participants with IDF Reservists 
Yiftah Leket, Michal Neuman and Nina Yahalomi

ABOVE LEFT: Yaron Waksman 
of HaGal Sheli chats with Betsy 
Heuer as he takes the I & O 
Allocations Committee to the 
beach for a surfboard photo shoot.
LEFT: Federation CEO Steven 
Ingber at Brothers & Sisters for 
Israel headquarters.

