Supporting social change in Israel through NIF

As my year working in Israel is (officially) drawing to a close, please join me in supporting the organization that made this year possible: the New Israel Fund (NIF).

Since September, I've been working at an organization based in Tel Aviv called Kav LaOved - the Worker's Hotline. I've spent the bulk of my time this year working with the 40,000 refugees from Eritrea and Sudan who today call Israel home.

Even though many of the refugees have lived here for as long as 10 years, the Israeli government still calls them "infiltrators," and only a handful to date have received refugee status and protection. The government has devised various schemes to force them to leave the country, including a plan this year which would have given the refugees a choice: either go to jail, or deport themselves to a "third-party country" in Africa, where their safety is not guaranteed. Thankfully, that plan was scrapped due to public pressure from the refugees themselves, Israeli activists, and the international community, but the refugees still face enormous hardship: the government continues to withhold 20% of their salary every month as a deposit which can only be accessed upon their departure from Israel. They are one of the most vulnerable groups in Israel, though their resilience is inspiring beyond words.

Getting to know this community this year would not have been possible without NIF. It's because of NIF that I've been able to work for the year at KLO, through a special program called the Social Justice Fellowship. The Fellowship gave me an opportunity to "get my hands dirty," to get to know the people behind the Israel I'm proud to get behind.

I've seen up-close Israelis and Palestinians working for social change, and how integral NIF is to those efforts. If there's an issue that you care about - whether it's ending the occupation, working to protect refugees, civil rights, religious pluralism - chances are NIF supports and funds an organization on the ground here which focuses on those issues. I believe that we all can and should connect in deeper and different ways with the reality of Israel today, and that there are people on the ground here - Israelis and Palestinians - who are fighting every day to create a different future and are beyond worth of our support. That's why I'm asking you if you'll join me in supporting NIF.  

My goal is to raise $1000 by the end of June to support NIF's on-the-ground efforts. Your donation of $18, $36, or more will help me reach my goal. Let's help create a different reality - one that's more equitable, just, and peaceful - for all the people who call this land home.