Saying Goodbye to 2020 | Keren Hayesod

For the People of Israel

31.12.2020

Home PageNewsletter End of the year 2020

Dear Friends of Keren Hayesod,

This year will soon be ending. In some ways, the year feels as if it went by extremely fast, while on the other hand, it feels as if it lasted 100 years. The latter feeling could be a result of us marking Keren Hayesod’s 100th anniversary this year, or because of the immense difficulties the world has faced due to the global pandemic. However, despite these challenges and this incredibly unprecedented year, when we reflect on the past twelve months, we are proud.

We are proud of Keren Hayesod and all the campaigns around the world, our leadership, our supporters, and volunteers, our Shlichim and the employees in Jerusalem and abroad who have worked tirelessly to help ensure that the people of Israel remain a top priority, even as we face our own obstacles in learning to navigate through a global health crisis.

This year was a year of reflection and a year of immense growth and transformation. While we celebrated the past 100 years and reflected on the innumerable strides that this organization has made, we were forced to break out of routine, establish new means of communicating and new ways of continuing our support for the people of Israel.

After years of conducting fundraising through face-to-face interactions and engaging with our campaigns around the world through hands-on events and experiences, we were forced to think creatively and adapt to a continuously changing new reality.

Thanks to technology, we had opportunity to stay connected, despite the great distances between us.

We hosted our Virtual Centennial Celebrations, in which thousands of viewers around the world tuned in to help us celebrate this milestone occasion. However, we were saddened not to have been able celebrate together in Jerusalem.

We held many webinar series, virtual missions, and virtual regional gatherings, allowing all of you to enjoy meaningful and engaging content from the comfort of your home, while deepening your connection with Keren Hayesod and our programs.

Together with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and our strategic partner, The Jewish Agency for Israel, we welcomed new immigrants from Ethiopia who arrived recently as part of Operation Tzur Israel and we have worked to ensure that they have an easy and safe absorption process.

Whether it is coming together to raise funds for hygiene products for the elderly residents of Amigour Sheltered Housing or raising funds to ensure that new immigrants can receive tablet computers that will allow the children to participate in remote learning or making sure the youth at-risk continued to receive the necessary care, your support has allowed us to continue supporting the many projects and taking care of every aspect of Israeli society.

Additionally, together with The Jewish Agency for Israel, we provided emergency assistance to Jewish communities abroad who were in dire distress during the height of the pandemic.

Two successful online crowdfunding campaigns were completed in Europe and Australia, raising more than $4.9 million from 8,000 donors over the course of three days, reminding us of the tremendous power we have when we stand united in the face of uncertainty. It is important to note, that many of these donors were first-time donors to Keren Hayesod.

If one thing has remained constant throughout all these changes, it has been your unwavering support for the state and people of Israel. This is what we are most proud of.

Together, we can change the lives of those in Israel’s periphery. From here in Israel or afar, through lockdowns and social distancing, Keren Hayesod will always remain dedicated to safeguarding the wellbeing of those who need us most.

We invite you to watch the following video, summarizing Keren Hayesod’s impact in 2020, thanks to your endless support: