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HEADLINES

YOUR IMPACT

Your Impact in Israel

COMMUNITY REPORT

THANKS TO A $1 MILLION DONOR MATCH FROM ANDREW AND ERNA VITERBI, EVERY GIFT TO OUR EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN, UP $50,000, WILL BE MATCHED DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR!

WAYS TO REACH OUT

  • Make a donation to Federation. 100% of donations will go to humanitarian aid in Israel.

  • Sign a letter of solidarity to be sent to Federation's sister community - Sha'ar HaNegev.

YOUR GIFT IN ACTION

Helping Children Cope with Trauma

Federation-funded efforts at the JDC revived a therapeutic project to help children cope with the trauma of war.

 

Children are given a stuffed dog called a Hibuki (“Huggy”), which has extra-long arms that wrap around the child, giving them a hug. When a child is given a stuffed animal to actively care for, the child transfers his or her emotions onto the stuffed animal. By taking care of Hibuki, the child is essentially treating his or her own trauma, and addressing his or her own fears and worries.

 

“Hibuki is sad because missiles were fired on his doghouse,” one child said. “He is afraid of war,” and “he is afraid to die” were common concerns raised by the children.

 

Some 330 children with post-traumatic stress were treated using this method in communities neighboring Gaza, where the violence has been most intense. More than 30 professional counselors received training in an effort to expand the scope of the program to reach thousands of children in need. In addition, parents were given tutorials on how to help their children alleviate their fears through the use of the stuffed animal.

 

Your generosity makes this amazing effort possible, and we sincerely thank you for all that you do.

 

The Jewish Federation of San Diego County is a registered 501c(3) non-profit organization.

Your donation is fully tax deductible as a charitable contribution.