Since the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Jewish Federations of North America have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Israel. Through the Israel Emergency Campaign, Federations across the system sprang into action, collectively raising over $900 million to support Israel’s recovery after 2.5 years of war. Core partners – the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Joint Distribution Committee – worked tirelessly with Federation staff on the ground to organize and allocate this vital assistance. 

 

The support did not stop after the war in Gaza ended; Federations allocated $10 million in Israel Emergency Funds during the first war with Iran, in June 2025, and raised over $30 million in emergency aid during the first four weeks of Operation Roaring Lion, in April 2026. 

 

At this year’s Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society, hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) and the Dalia and Eli Hurvitz Foundation, Director General of Federations’ Israel Office and Senior Vice President of Israel and Overseas Rebecca Caspi shared how Federations have aided Israel’s socioeconomic rehabilitation through these and other avenues. 

 

“[B]ack in November 2023 we identified a specific challenge – small businesses that lacked sufficient access to credit,” Caspi said. “To address this, we launched an emergency loan fund to help small businesses. We broke through the traditional credit barriers, subsidized interest rates, and assumed first risk to help small businesses get through the crisis.” 

 

In her remarks, Caspi touted this fund, on which Federations partnered with five lending organizations to allocate $90 million to small business owners, who needed immediate assistance amid an extremely challenging environment. The fund has aided 4,000 businesses to date through fundraising, education, and coaching. 

 

She also emphasized how philanthropy has helped to strengthen Israel’s financial sector by revitalizing businesses that had nowhere else to turn.  

 

“[T]he economic pressure is real, it is broad, and it is ongoing,” Caspi said. “However, we can say with great confidence that supporting small businesses through both education and capital—by means of accessible loans—creates stability and allows for recovery. This capital builds the community and personal resilience of the State of Israel.” 

 

Caspi represented Jewish Federations alongside civic, political, and business leaders, to discuss their findings of how Israel’s multi-front wars have affected the population – particularly in Israel’s north, which continues to face attacks by Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

 

The Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society is one of the most influential economic conferences in Israel. Since 1993, it has served as the premier forum for policymakers, business leaders, and academic experts to discuss the country’s national priorities.  

 

Read the full translation of Caspi’s remarks here.