In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Cacher massacres, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is partnering with the French Jewish community on resiliency programs addressing trauma, crisis management training, and the relocation of at-risk Jews from troubled neighborhoods in the French capital. The multifaceted response, organized at the invitation of the French Jewish community, expands and upgrades JDC’s current work with French Jews which includes leadership skills seminars, community development best practice cultivation and promotion, and the inclusion of young French Jews in pan-European networking initiatives.
‘We at the Fonds Social Juif Unifie are proud to have JDC by our side during these difficult times. A close partner and friend for many years, we know that together with JDC, our community can be stronger and better equipped to navigate all that we face,’ said Ariel Goldmann, president of Fonds Social Juif Unifie (FSJU), the central community fundraising body of the French Jewish community.
Collaborating with the French Jewish community -; a vibrant, self-sustaining, and multi-faceted population of more than 500,000 that today faces economic, political, and social challenges -; JDC will help provide post-trauma care for those suffering as a result of the terror attacks and rising anti-Semitism. JDC experts, and those from the Israel Trauma Coalition, will share knowledge/skills with Jewish professionals, local intervention teams, volunteers, and community leaders to ensure effective and timely responses to trauma, especially among children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. JDC will also work closely with French Jewish community leadership on upgraded crisis management capacity to address emergency situations in real time. Additionally, JDC will help with relocation plans for vulnerable Jews -; the elderly and poor families -; from unsafe neighborhoods plagued by crime, high levels of poverty, Islamist radicalism, and political extremism. JDC’s initial response with be carried out in cooperation with the FSJU, OSE (Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants), a community agency aiding needy Jews, and the Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah (FMS).
‘As Jews face increasing risks around the world, especially spiking anti-Semitism and economic strife, there is growing demand for JDC’s expertise in managing and deploying responses to high-risk situations. We are proud to partner once again with the French Jewish community to ensure that as they chart their future, we are there to strengthen their resiliency, implement specialized services for the most vulnerable, and present a united front in the face of violent hate,’ said JDC CEO Alan H. Gill.
JDC’s 80-year history assisting Jews in France includes the care of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933; the reestablishment of the French Jewish community after the Holocaust, including cash relief programs, networks of scores of children’s homes, vocational training, and emigration assistance; the establishment of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work in Paris and the creation of FSJU (the Fonds Social Juif Unifie); and its ongoing partnership with the OSE (Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants).
About JDCThe American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. JDC works in more than 70 countries and in Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and man-made disasters. For more information, please visit www.jdc.org
