Garin Tzedek Donation Letter

Dear family and friends,

I am writing to you from Israel, where I, along with 300 others, am on Young Judaea’s Year Course program. From September until June I will be volunteering and studying here in Eretz Yisrael and living as a member of Israeli society.

As part of my groups experience I have interacted with many segments of the population here. One group that few know about is the 15,000 or so refugees from Sudan and Darfur who have come to Israel as a last resort to escape the dangers of their homeland. As you may already know Sudan was involved in a civil war between the Arab North and Black African South for over 25 years. One result of this conflict has been the burning of South Sudanese and Darfuri villages leading to a mass exodus of over 2 million people from their homes. These refugees have fled all over Africa, including to Egypt. However, the Egyptian government and people have a generally negative attitude towards the refugees and a large number of Sudanese have been the subject of verbal and physical abuse as well as racial discrimination. Because of their inhumane treatment in Egypt, some have fled to Israel, seeking asylum in the Jewish State.

Here, feelings towards the refugees are mixed. Many Israelis see the Sudanese as uncivilized intruders from an enemy state, as Sudan has officially been at war with Israel since Israel’s independence, coming to steal jobs from Jews. Others strive to help the Sudanese community as humanists, Jews, and active Zionists. In our experience in Bat Yam, I have become involved in the issue. Some participants have volunteered in their work time and free time to help build and volunteer at a day care in central Tel Aviv where Sudanese children can play together and receive tutoring while their parents learn Hebrew and English in the adjacent room. I have seen with my own eyes how much all members of the community benefit from the services provided by this center. As Jews living in Israel, a state that was literally built as a nation of refugees, we have a moral obligation to help these people build new lives for themselves. Because I have high standards for the Jewish state and our responsibility to the world I have dedicated my time to this cause.

To instigate a change, my friends and I have started an initiative called Garin Tzedek, or in Hebrew, “Seed of Justice” to help the Sudanese community here and across Israel. As a Garin, (seed, or group) we are developing some projects with the refugee community in Tel Aviv including creating a daycare center and classes teaching Hebrew, English, and Computer skills. We have high ambitions and a will to do great things, however to begin making the impact we desire to have we need your support. One aspect of my program is that my friends and I live relatively modest lives, eating on a stipend of 20 shekels, or about 5 dollars, per person per day. Despite the fact that I only brought 2 bags of possessions and don’t have the money for restaurants and television, I still look wealthy compared to many of the refugees in the country.

I am writing to you to ask if you’d like to be a part of what we’re doing here in Tel Aviv and all over Israel by making a donation. The money you send will pay for school supplies for the classes my friends and I are teaching as well as toys for small children, and utility bills to allow the Sudanese community continued use of the building as a community center. You can follow the progress of our project on the Garin Tzedek blog at http://www.seedtheplow.blogspot.com/ to stay on top of the issue and see articles and photography showing how your donation is used. If you are going to visit Israel this year and would like to see any of our projects please feel free to leave a post on the blog and one of my friends or I will gladly give you a tour and introduce you to the Sudanese here. They are some of the most happy and grateful people, I promise you’ll get a huge hug and meet some of the cutest children you’ve ever seen. If you are interested in donating please send any cash or checks to the following address:

Young Judaea National Mazkirut
Hadassah House 8th Floor 50 W58th Street
New York, NY 10019

If you are writing a check please write it to Hadassah and put “Young Judaea Garin Tzedek” in the memo. Please include a note with your donation explaining who you are and who you heard about the Garin from.

Thank you for your time.
B’Shalom,
Laura Maschler