07/10/24
From NATAN Chair, Daniel Kahn:
Nine months have passed since 7 October, with the fate of 120+ hostages still uncertain and countless people displaced. In these challenging times, NATAN’s ongoing efforts may seem like a drop in the ocean – yet we believe every drop creates ripples of hope, and has the potential to change lives.
Our “Restore the Spirit – Meshiv Haruach” program in Ofakim is one example: A beacon of hope and resilience, with 18 impactful projects. With the support of the JDC, Metrowest Jewish Foundation and the Municipality, NATAN is addressing community needs via the Bait Bamishor Community Resilience Center, the mobile “Municipality at your Door,” a Parents Security Bicycle Patrol, and other grass-roots projects.
In the North, more hopeful efforts: NATAN is bringing telemedicine, trauma support and a mobile dental clinic to communities in need.
Pirke Avot 2:5 tells us, “in a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.” Every day, together, NATAN volunteers make a meaningful difference. Your generous support empowers our work – in the last 9 months, the last 20 years, and in the years ahead, with gratitude.
JBS’s Eye on Israel program interviewed NATAN Chair Danny Kahn and CEO Alice Miller about NATAN’s work and plans for the future.
A transformative project began on 1 July, with NATAN volunteers and 30 licensed school psychologists and educators from the Dnipro, Donetsk, and Kharkiv regions. Their mission: to train education professionals to address trauma by restoring resilience and hope.
NATAN volunteers leading the training are Israeli experts in trauma care and resilience, who have worked with survivors of the war in Gaza.
Despite escalating Russian attacks, these dedicated trainees travel 13 hours by train across Ukraine to attend the program, which is managed by Ukrainian Municipal Education Departments.
NATAN projects in Israel offer essential support to residents in need.
In Haifa, a NATAN dental clinic provides care for vulnerable communities, including people lacking status; operations at the clinic, suspended since 7 October, resumed this month.
In Eilat and in hotels where refugees from the North are currently housed, NATAN, members of the Safed University Faculty of Medicine, Kupat Holim Klalit, and medical students in the “Rom Galil” program are coordinating remote medical diagnosis and treatment in specialties like dermatology, gerontology and otolaryngology.
Medical students meet patients in person and escort them to remote specialist examinations, using ZiphyCare telemedicine. NATAN thanks ZiphyCare for their generous donation.
NATAN is unique among Israel’s humanitarian-relief organizations, according to Lauren Rothschild Epstein, Deputy Director, Caring Department at UJA-Federation NY: “It’s almost completely volunteer-run. There’s not a lot of overhead, and very little money spent on PR and marketing. Nearly 100% of the money raised goes to communities in need.”
“It’s very apparent that everyone in the organization is passionate about what they’re doing: authentic, humble, yet expert,” said Rachel Moser, Senior Lead, Strategic Planning and Grants, Caring Department, UJA-Federation NY. Moser first met NATAN volunteers on a 2022 mission to Ukraine. “We saw genuine care for the people NATAN supported,” she said. “NATAN brought knowledge, expertise, and attention to detail. There were stuffed animals for the children, despite the surrounding chaos.”
“We think of NATAN as a Jewish-Israeli Doctors without Borders – but in every area, not just doctors,” Epstein said.
NATAN’s dedication to community empowerment is another distinguishing characteristic. “The NATAN model relies on training local communities,” she noted. “Other organizations have the potential to create dependency on outside organizations,” rather than building more robust local resources.
Since 7 October, Federation helped fund NATAN medical and dental clinics in the South. “The relationship and our understanding of NATAN enabled us to support them earlier in Ukraine, and build on that strong foundation for future work.” Today, “we are really excited about NATAN’s growth as an organization,” Epstein said, noting the recent appointment of Alice Miller as CEO. “We see this as a really exciting next step.”