lobby | First One Through

People around the globe are looking for ways to help Israel during this terrible time. Below are a few ways: Donate, Lobby, Support students, Rally, Pray. Stay informed.

Donation Dos and Don’ts

There are many organizations based in Israel which can be helpful and, unfortunately, many well-intentioned people who pour time and resources into bad ideas and scams.

DON’T give money or buy military supplies in the diaspora. It sounds illogical but there are several reasons.

The Israeli government has supplies which are consistent with how soldiers are trained and how it maintains equipment. It cannot accept and manage an odd helmet here and two night vision goggles there. It mucks up the military order.

It’s also illegal in most countries to send military supplies abroad.

DO send items. Socks, underwear, canned goods and the like are welcome and can be distributed to displaced people, soldiers, volunteers and others.

DONATIONS are welcome – to known entities. Beware of organizations which popped up overnight which might sound good but have no proven ability to direct 100% of the donations to people in need. Some good organizations in Israel include:

Friend of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) to help soldiers
Magen David Adom for emergency help
United Hatzalah for emergency help
Leket to help people get food

There are also organizations supporting college students who will be facing a barrage of anti-Israel attacks. Donate to organizations which help these students combat the amplified antisemitism and anti-Zionism that is growing every day:

StandWithUs helps students with training and materials
AMCHA Initiative tracks antisemitism on campus
Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law helps students fight their institutions to protect their human rights

Organizations which track and translate Palestinian media to flag their calls for violence and antisemitism:

There are occasional one-offs who can help, such as The Jerusalem Great Synagogue which has set up The Emergency Fund supervised by Malcolm Hoenlein. The fund originally had roots in assisting lone soldiers in Israel and is now serving as a base to dynamically change the destination of contributions based on current need which Malcolm identifies and then gets approved by the donor before distribution.

The American Friends of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue is a United States tax
exempt 501c3 charitable organization. Federal ID number: 23-7013128
Acct# – 096073694365
Acct Name: AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE JERUSALEM GREAT
SYNAGOGUE INC
Acct Address: 3145 Coney island Avenue Brooklyn NY 11235
Bank Name: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA
SWIFT Code: CHASUS33
Routing#: 021000021
Address: 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Phone Number: (866) 865-1388

The Importance of Lobbying

Israel is going to need persistent support, especially as the war continues and the number of Arab casualties rises. Politicians care about and track the calls and emails that come to their offices. Contact your local representatives, even if only sharing one or two sentences. Feel free to use any article on the FirstOneThrough site with politicians to amplify your voice.

Write the White House

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Sen. Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Sen. James Risch (R-ID) Ranking Minority Member of Senate Foreign Relations
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT)
Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE)
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN)
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN)
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX10) Chairman
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ4)
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC2)
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA10)
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA48)
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO2)
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL18)
Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO4)
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN2)
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN7)
Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY6)
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX13)
Rep. Young Kim (R-CA40)
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL27)
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI4)
Rep. Amata Radewagen (R-AS-AL)
Rep. French Hill (R-AR2)
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH8)
Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN4)
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL6)
Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-NJ7)
Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY17)
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL7)
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA6)
Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX1)
Rep. John James (R-MI10)
Rep. Keith Self (R-TX3)
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY5) Ranking Member
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA30)
Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA11)
Rep. William Keating (D-MA9)
Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA6)
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX20)
Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV1)
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA36)
Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA7)
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN3)
Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX32)
Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ3)
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA51)
Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC6)
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL20)
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ4)
Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA4)
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL23)
Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL1)
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA37)
Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA21)
Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO6)
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL10)

Support Students

Universities have become hotbeds of radicalism among socialists and Islamic extremists. The war will likely make campuses extremely hostile for anyone clearly Jewish, such as Orthodox men wearing kippahs.

In addition to donating to organizations like StandWithUs, contact your alma mater and let them know that antisemitism and support for Hamas are completely unacceptable. Contact fellow alumni who share your passion for the subject to create bulk power initiatives to confront any biases that might arise on campus.

Rally

There are many rallies taking place to support Israel. Go to your local synagogue or community center website or national organizations such as UJA putting one together October 10 at 5pm at the United Nations. People need to feel the bonds of community and discuss ways of supporting each other and the Jewish State at this difficult time.

Pray

Some people like to go to synagogue and pray. Some recite chapters of Tehillim / Psalms to pray for the wounded, hostages and families directly impacted. Others join global WhatsApp groups to show a global unity reciting prayers and Psalms together.

The prayers should help all of our positive actions have the desired effect of returning the hostages safely, healing the sick and injured, and deliver appropriate punishment to the evil perpetrators who inflicted such barbarity.

Stay Informed

There are many websites like Arutz Sheva and Jerusalem Post which will have the latest news, many of which will likely get targeted by Jihadists. The Palestinian Authority posts its propaganda at Wafa. For analysis which incorporates the various news feeds, historical context, actions of the United Nations and more, subscribe to the FirstOneThrough blog below.