Turning the Tables

Anglo Israelis Help Displaced Israelis Settle in Netanya 

In an intriguing twist after October 7, olim volunteers from the Netanya-based Alynu organization immediately began helping displaced Israeli families find and acclimate to their new home in Netanya. "Thanks to our ongoing work with olim, we know just how difficult it is to settle into a new area without any support or family network, " explains Alynu founder Nechama Levy. "So we provided our own 'basket of support' for the families, tailored for their individual needs, helping them through those first traumatic weeks."

The most pressing need was to find accommodation, especially for those families who were not entitled to any government support even though they lived within the conflict zone. Word about Alynu's activities quickly spread among Diaspora communities and Israelis in the north and south, and within a short time, Alynu volunteers had housed dozens of evacuee families in empty apartments. "Thanks to the generosity of donors in Israel and overseas, we were even able to furnish completely empty apartments with essential furniture, household appliances and more", adds Levy.

New clothes, toys and baby equipment were provided for families unable to return to their homes to collect their possessions. Alynu volunteers set up daycare frameworks and enrichment activities for the evacuee children before the government stepped in. Family fun days, Hanukkah parties, challa-baking events and more enabled the families to create a warm, supportive community.

"There are those who literally have no home to return to, others who have endured captivity in Gaza, bereavement and unspeakable horrors," adds Levy. ""We are committed for the long-term, we will not leave these families" adds Levy.