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World Jewish News
JAFI Invites Volunteers to Help the Repatriates
29.12.2008
As the IzRus portal was told by the Jewish Agency representatives, besides the common "hot line", the Russian-speaking immigrants from southern parts of the country can ask for help by calling 1-800-22-80-55 (extension - 4). JAFI asks thousands of its volunteers to "switch" to the victims from the South.
The Jewish Agency decided to temporarily "reformat" the "Bayt Ham" ( "Warm House") program, to redirect it towards assisting the residents of areas affected by missiles. Under this program, thousands of volunteers had been helping new immigrants, both in accompanying them and providing accommodation. Now they are asked to give such help to the residents of Sderot, Netivot and other cities in the south.
Today JAFI opened a hotline for southerners who want to temporarily move to the central or northern regions, to stay at the volunteers’ homes as “guests”. Residents of the attacked cities are asked to call 1-800-22-13-14. As reported by the IzRus, the calls by immigrants from the FSU who do not speak Hebrew will be answered by Russian-speaking operators. If they are busy at the time of the call, you should dial 1-800-22-80-55 (extension - 4). "So far we are coping1 on our own, but if we need help of the Russian-speaking volunteers, we will make an announcement," said one of operators on the line.
The Jewish Agency also allocated 2 million shekels for urgent financial assistance to those whose homes in the south suffered from bombardment. Each family, whose home requires repairs, can get a nonrecurring gift of 4000 shekels. For assistance you need to call 1-800-200-183 (extension - 1). As the portal IzRus was told by the Jewish Agency employee, almost all operators on this line speak Russian.
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