The Heart to Heart Fund

Project 1:  Talia’s Book for children of Refugees. 

Talia was immediately impacted by October 7^th.  Her husband was called up that day, leaving her with 3 small kids, one still an infant.  She quickly understood how hard it was to manage 3 young kids living in their new reality, and more importantly, how to explain what was happening and where their dad was.  Time and research led her to the best responses.  Using her skill as a writer and illustrator, Talia wrote a terrific book to help parents and children, which has been printed and distributed to thousands of families throughout Israel at no cost to them. 

Talia identified a second need – kids of refugee families housed in hotels around Israel.  She wrote a second book for those children.  During our trip to Israel, we got to see both books, and they are incredible.  We want to help Talia get this book out as soon as possible.

This second book needs to be printed and distributed at a cost of $6,000.  

Project 2:  Beit Areya Memorial

We visited Beit Areya, a strategically important settlement just inside the West Bank overlooking Tel Aviv.  While there, we met three families whose sons have been best friends since they were children. The boys grew up together, did their military service together, traveled together and were getting ready to start their adult lives when they decided to visit the Nova Music Festival. On the morning of October 7^th, their parents quickly learned that there was an attack on the festival, and using phone location data, went south to retrieve their boys.  All three had run for their lives, but were caught and brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists. The small community of Beit Areya has been traumatized by this tragic loss, and the three families shattered.  They decided to create a community commemorative park on the edge of the town on a cliff overlooking the surrounding valley. We met the families, and they told their stories for the first time at this location, where their memorial and scenic look-out is half built.

We would like to help them finish their memorial with a contribution of $5,000.

Project 3:  Nir Am – A small Kibbutz in need.

Many of the Kibbutzim attached on October 7^th have set up fundraising and a volunteer infrastructure to rebuild out of the ashes of their devastation. Nir Am does not have significant capacity to mobilize large fundraising and volunteer activities. On October 7^th, they were directly in the line of attack. Members of their community are still housed in hotels in Tel Aviv, but need a helping hand to start the process of rebuilding. We stayed in the same hotel during our recent visit to Israel, and got to see and meet many of the families and young children from Nir Am. They are still shellshocked and could use a helping hand to get the process of rebuilding underway. 

We would like to assist them with a $10,000 contribution.