AFTER THE FLOOD, FEDERATION

Holocaust survivor Monique Ritter lived a peaceful life in the Houston home she shared for nearly 40 years with her husband, Erwin, also a survivor. She never expected to find herself trapped on the island in her kitchen for hours, watching flood waters rise around her during Hurricane Harvey. When Monique returned home, she discovered that 3+ feet of water had destroyed her most precious possessions: drawers full of photographs that had belonged to her grandmother. But she refused to part with these crucial links to her past. Her grandson called Federation-funded Jewish Family Service (JFS), and they immediately sent over a crisis counselor to help. Now, as the elderly Ritters figure out what’s next, a JFS case worker is helping them navigate options and get financial assistance for immediate and long-term needs.

EMERGENCY RELIEF SAVED US

The home Judi and Roger shared with their four sons had never been flooded before. Neither had their street. So when Hurricane Harvey hit, they had no idea how it would devastate their lives. They managed to wade through the waist-deep water to safety at a nearby house. We were on our neighbor’s second floor for three days,” Judi remembers. It was safer to stay than to leave. In the following days, Federation was there for them. Meals and emergency money arrived, volunteers came to sort through and pack up their belongings, and the JCC handed out supplies and Target gift cards. Most valuably, they provided trauma counseling. “When everyone else had left, they stayed and continued to help us,” says Judi. “It’s not easy for me to ask for help. We’re so fortunate to have this community.”

Back Home—With a Purpose

Graduate high school. Join the IDF. Get a degree. Shai, now a successful Master’s student, knew this was the path out of the rough Tel Aviv neighborhood he grew up in. But something keeps bringing him home. Through The Jewish Agency’s Choosing Tomorrow program, he spends time each week at his old school, helping at-risk kids develop the skills they need to dream of — and live — a better future for themselves and all of Israel.

Art Therapy in the Negev

Living on a kibbutz two miles from Gaza, Livnat was used to sirens and destruction. But she also knew there was more to life in Israel’s south. With a grant from the Negev Funding Coalition, a partnership between Federations and the Israeli government, she opened Beit Melacha, an open art studio where everyone — young and old, Jewish and Muslim — gets their hands dirty sculpting, doodling, planting and building a better future for the Negev, together.

Sustaining Hope in Cuba

For decades, the Cuban government tried to suppress religion. But they couldn’t suppress Monica. When religious restrictions eased in 1991, Monica, then eight, eagerly enrolled in a new Jewish Sunday school funded by JDC. Since then, she’s worked with them to establish a community pharmacy, Shabbat dinners, youth camps, a b’nai mitzvah program, and much more. “JDC has been vital for the existence of Judaism here. And it keeps us optimistic about our future,” she says.

Aliyah of Rescue from Yemen

Though raising nine children is never easy, it’s especially tough in Yemen. But Yechiya held on, even as he watched other families make aliyah from the place his family called home for millennia. But when he was one of just 60 Jews left in Yemen, he understood the future lay elsewhere. Now in Israel with help from The Jewish Agency, Yechiya and his family feel more secure in their life and heritage than ever before.

Stunned by Hillel

“If you want to be Jewish, you can. If you don’t, you don’t have to.” The Hillel director’s words stunned Rebekah. No one had ever validated her Jewish identity quite like this before. So she started showing up to Jewish events on campus more and more. Soon, she fell in love with Judaism. Now? She’s an engagement professional at a large college Hillel. “Without Hillel, I wouldn’t have begun exploring my identity,” she says. “And here I am now, still learning and growing.”

Inspiring New Jewish Leaders

Shauna never used to consider herself a Jewish leader. But as a young professional with a growing family, she felt herself slipping between the cracks of local programming. After talking with a Federation engagement professional, she was inspired to harness her Federation’s resources to organize a group for young Jewish families like hers. Together, they throw Chanukah parties, share parenting tips, and so much more. Now, Shauna’s impact can be felt on two generations of Jewish life.