Over the last several days, more than 400 rockets have been shot indiscriminately at civilians in Israel by the Islamic Jihad in Gaza. According to an update yesterday from our national Federation system:

Seventy-eight Israelis have been treated for injuries including:

• One 8-year old girl who suffered heart failure while running to a shelter. She is currently in serious condition.
• 3 people lightly injured by rocket fire (shrapnel).
• 37 people lightly injured by falls or other problems when running to a shelter.
• 37 people treated for shock.

Despite the fact that you may not physically be in Israel to help in a hands on way, our community campaign dollars flowing to the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, places you virtually on the ground providing respite, working with vulnerable populations and giving direct financial support to all the victims of this terror.

This past week, a number of volunteer and professional leadership from our Federation traveled to Washington DC for a national Federation working conference featuring three tracks: security, human services and Jewish engagement. Meryl Ainsman, our Board Chair, kept tally as our city name, Pittsburgh, was mentioned more than 50 times before she stopped counting. While some were only referring to the vicious attack here last year, so many were actually describing the positive aspects of the incredible response our Federation and our community had to that attack.

Last year’s response in Pittsburgh and this past week’s response in Israel are only possible because of the support of our Community Campaign. It gives us and the agencies we fund the elasticity to respond creatively and adaptively to whatever may happen.

Our 2020 Community Campaign is off to a fabulous start and I hope that when you are asked for your commitment, you consider the biggest increase possible. As we have been saying for the past year, we are Stronger Together and no way demonstrates that collective effort better than the Community Campaign.

Shabbat Shalom.