IAJF Young Leadership
2023-24 Campaign
The Need
The tragedy of October 7th has exposed Israeli youth to the trauma of war. Teens from around the country are seeing distressing material circulating online, and those from the Gaza perimeters have experienced horrors firsthand. Thirty percent of the evacuees from the Gaza border areas are youth, now uprooted from their homes and refugees in their own country.
The Project
For its fourth annual fundraising campaign, IAJF-YL is raising money to benefit ELEM/Youth in Distress. In a typical year in the Haifa area, ELEM assists 500 at-risk youth struggling with life on the streets, bullying, homelessness, sexual exploitation, abuse, violence, drugs, alcohol, or prostitution. Using outreach vans and safe places to meet, and providing services and mentoring, ELEM's social workers and volunteers transform the lives of these at-risk teens.
In the wake of October 7th, ELEM has stepped up to provide emergency assistance to youth impacted by the war. Teens are experiencing direct and indirect trauma, displacement, destabilized families, lack of structure, and ongoing uncertainty. With an understanding of their preference for informal settings, ELEM has set up 13 Breathing Spaces - pop-up sites offering teenage refugees safe spaces and initial trauma therapy. Additional Breathing Spaces are being set up in schools and through online chat platforms, to reach as many teens as possible.