Creating Local Leadership JFC-UIA continues to encourage the development of a cadre of young leaders who are committed to social activism and who have the skills and the motivation to address the needs of their community. In Be’er Sheva, more than 40 students who stepped up to help the community during the war (and were therefore unable to work) have received special scholarships. In Sderot and Sha’ar Hanegev, it is supporting a range of leadership programs for teens. These programs strengthen their commitment to their home communities and prepare them to take responsibility during emergencies. In Sderot, 50 of the most promising college students receive tuition assistance ever year, with funding from UJA Toronto and Coast to Coast Canada. Freed from financial worries, they devote themselves to social involvement -- galvanizing the municipal leadership and creating an upbeat atmosphere in Sderot as a whole.
Over the last decade, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto has invested immense efforts in developing strong local leadership and encouraging community activism in Sderot, especially among teens. During Operation Protective Edge, these efforts really proved themselves. Over 600 teen and young adult volunteers stepped up. Active within the community all year round, these groups assumed key leadership roles over the summer, working with children and the elderly, and keeping morale high. They even ran activities in neighboring communities, notably Ashdod and Be’er Sheva. Their activism helped to generate a feeling of immense capability throughout Sderot, enabling the entire community to discover its inner strength.
“We were in constant contact with JFC-UIA, which basically enabled us to run whatever activities we thought appropriate – for children, for seniors, and for the wider community. Their confidence in us local residents truly empowered us!" Ma’ayan, an activist at the Netivim Young Adults Center in Sderot