The foundation operates as the executive arm of the Beit Shemesh Municipality and the city’s leadership, under the direction of Mayor *Shmuel Greenberg*, in order to provide an immediate response to the needs that arose following this tragic event.
Immediately after the missile strike, the foundation started acting and has since been operating around the clock, in coordination with the mayor and municipal professional teams, to identify urgent needs and provide rapid assistance to affected residents. Hundreds of thousands of shekels have already been raised, and part of the funds have been already transferred directly to families impacted by the attack and to families who lost their loved ones, as urgent initial assistance to help them cope with the consequences of the tragedy.
At the same time, the foundation has launched a broad public fundraising campaign. Already at this early stage, dozens of donors from Israel and around the world have joined the effort, expressing solidarity with the residents of Beit Shemesh and with the affected families.
In parallel, the foundation is conducting intensive discussions with leading donors and philanthropic foundations in Israel and internationally, as well as with Jewish federations in the United States and key partners in Jewish communities around the world, with the aim of providing significant additional resources for the city. This effort is intended both to address immediate emergency needs and to strengthen the city’s resilience infrastructure in the long term.
As part of its activities, the foundation is currently coordinating with the city’s leadership to address urgent needs that emerged following the incident, including assistance to families evacuated from their homes, strengthening municipal emergency response systems, and providing support to children and families coping with the aftermath of the tragedy.
In addition, the foundation is working to bring significant resources to improve the city’s emergency preparedness, including the acquisition of advanced medical equipment, rescue equipment for volunteer emergency units, and the installation of protective shelters in key locations.
*Yisrael Dantziger*, Chairman of Keren Shemesh, said: “Beit Shemesh experienced a very difficult time this week, but it is in times like these that the true strength of a community is revealed. Keren Shemesh is working together with the Beit Shemesh Municipality, the mayor, and the city’s leadership to harness circles of support in Israel and around the world and bring the resources needed to assist the affected families and strengthen the city’s resilience. We are seeing inspiring responses from many donors and partners who wish to stand alongside the residents of the city.”
*Ra’anan Eliaz*, CEO of the foundation, added:
“Immediately following this difficult event, we mobilized to provide a rapid response to affected families and residents in need of assistance. Within just a few days we succeeded in raising initial resources that have already been transferred to families, and we continue to work with donors and organizations in Israel and around the world to bring broad support to Beit Shemesh – support that will help the city cope with the consequences of the incident and emerge from it strengthened”
