In recent weeks, the phrase "Together We Will Win" has resonated with Israeli society as it grapples with the events of October 7, providing encouragement and a sense of community.
Established by JGive, the Together We Will Win emergency fund serves as a pivotal initiative enabling Israelis and philanthropic organizations to donate to the overall relief efforts. The establishment of the fund illustrates that this slogan represents far more than a mere catchphrase.
The emergency fund was established on the very evening of the tragedy, October 7, with the understanding that the disaster would result in a massive need for mobilization and aid. All donations made through the fund are transferred in full to organizations (except for minimal clearing fees for donations made by credit card).
We discussed with Major General Eliezer Shkedy, the former Israeli Air Force commander and chair of the external committee of Together We Will Win, along with two committee members—Rabbi Benny Lau, leader of Project 929, and Etty Deutsch, former CEO of Visa CAL. Our conversation also included JGive CEO Ori Ben Shlomo. We focused on the factors that prompted the creation of the fund, the process for allocating donations and what sets this fund apart in the philanthropic sector.
The committee also includes Halachic authority Malka Puterkovsky, former Supreme Court justice Ayala Procaccia, former Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky, Major General (ret.) Ami Shafran and attorney Yaron Kedar.
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JGive CEO Ori Ben Shlomo: 'Not everyone can volunteer but everyone wants to help'
(Photo: Avi Sultan)
'It's possible to support many goals and impact many more people'
"Sometimes it's hard to choose a single goal to donate to - Together We Will Win allows you to impact many people with a single donation", says Ben Shlomo, explaining that "ordinarily, JGive provides a response to organizations, businesses and individuals for fundraising and donation management."
"Following the massacre, we realized that we need an exceptional response in a different way. For this purpose, we established the Together We Will Win emergency fund, understanding that future needs to support various projects would arise and that many people would want to donate without it always being clear who they want to donate to."
'Every donation that comes in reaches people affected by the war'
Against the background of the thousands of initiatives implemented in Israel and hundreds of campaigns appearing on the JGive platform, "it's difficult to choose a single, exclusive goal, which could cause people with good intentions to decide not to donate at all due to the abundance of options," says Ben Shlomo. "Therefore, we created a fund for them that provides a simple, clear choice. All donations are pooled together and an external public committee decides where to channel the resources." In this way, Ben Shlomo says, "It's possible to support many goals and impact many more people."
The scale of generosity
JGive's data paints a striking picture of generosity according to Ori Ben Shlomo. Since the beginning of the war, NIS 140 million ($38 million) have been raised by organizations through the platform, with 20 million coming from the emergency fund alone.
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'Many people would want to donate without it always being clear who they want to donate to'
(Photo: Shmulik Davidpur)
Ben Shlomo notes that this amount, collected in just one month, equals the total typically raised by JGive over an entire year. He noted that this extraordinary level of donations in such a short period "indicates the immense mutual responsibility and desire to help among Israelis. Not all can volunteer, but all wish to aid however they can."
"The whole process goes through a rigorous filter to ensure donations go to the right place," says Etty Deutsch. "Over time, we decided to direct resources to areas where we complement the state. The committee tries to reach vulnerable populations that are not very popular to donate to, those on society's margins."
Rabbi Lau notes that "the committee provides assistance in psychological, social and health areas, and for soldiers, among other things. Every donation that comes in reaches people affected by the war."
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Rabbi Benny Lau: 'It is a mitzvah to support the people of Israel. It is impossible to kill our spirit'
(Photo: Yaron Brener)
Regarding filtering requests, Deutsch details that "everything goes through a very serious filter to ensure donations go to the right place. The Together We Will Win infrastructure requires a comprehensive view, and the committee's role is to integrate everything and distribute it fairly. Thus far the fund has supported over 300 organizations and groups."
'The area that impacts me most is psychological assistance'
"One of the areas of assistance that impacts me most is the psychological aspect," says Ben Shlomo. "In this war, the psychological aspect is prominent both in the short term and, unfortunately, also in the long term, requiring solutions of types not previously known, such as treatment for those attending funerals. The task requires rethinking psychological assistance in cases where proper treatment is a critical factor in the long-term outlook."
In the end, Ben Shlomo says, "The support was built according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs - we initially attended to the most basic things: equipment, food and shelter for many people. Slowly, as time passed, there was an understanding that the big story of this war is the psychological aspect."
'A light within the fog surrounding us'
Etty Deutsch: "What warms my heart is seeing the younger generation mobilize for the war effort. They come in droves, doing and donating. The youth show they have an extra soul and care."
Rabbi Lau says "The partnership in the emergency fund enables seeing the rays of light in Israeli society, exposing us to hundreds of organizations, people who go beyond the call of duty so that society can rise up - more light within the fog surrounding us."
Shkedy sums up by saying "these days, I feel it is a duty, a right and more - a mitzvah to support the people and State of Israel. It's impossible to kill our spirit, and together we will win."
Click here for details on grants transferred to Israeli organizations providing relief to those impacted by the recent hostilities