Restoring Hope and Creating Educational Solutions In Israel

Bomb Shelters For Lone Soldiers

Over the past two years there have been 16 escalations resulting in rocket barrages emanating from the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. The latest escalation occurred during the weekend of Friday May 3 and ended with a cease fire Monday May 6. Israel’s Foreign Ministry reported 690 rockets launched over the weekend at Israeli civilian population centers. 

Police bomb disposal team remove rocket from Gaza Envelope community
Israeli woman responds after her home sustained a direct rocket hit

The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted 240 rockets.  In the latest round of violence tragically four people were killed, 141 wounded and 522 buildings were damaged. The situation along the Gaza border remains unstable. Violent riots along the border fence and incendiary balloon attacks continue unabated. Its only a matter of time before the next round of violence

THE NEED

Kibbutz Urim is a pastoral farming community that is no more than 13 miles from the Gaza Border. However, they are outside of the Israeli government’s 4 mile “Gaza Envelope” and therefore not entitled to emergency government assistance to purchase bomb shelters or other security related equipment.

Kibbutz Urim is in range of the more advanced Iranian designed Grad and Fajr-5 rockets

Ilan Issacson, Director of Security for the Eshkol Region/County reported to MBKI that the communities outside of the 4 mile envelope receive more of the rocket barrages than those communities along the Gaza border. 

The barrage is Hamas’ new strategy to overcome Israel’s missile defense system This is reality

Kibbutz Urim is home to a special group of young people who have immigrated to Israel from the US, Canada and Europe with the courageous purpose of volunteering to serve in the Israel Defense Force. These brave young people have no family in Israel and are housed in a compound on the kibbutz. When not deployed in defense of Israel, they call Kibbutz Urim home.

Jewish American and Canadian high school and college graduates are preparing to serve in the IDF

When a Red Alert Siren sounds in the kibbutz, residents have 15 seconds to get to a protected space. On a recent visit to the Kibbutz, MBKI discovered that there were no bomb shelters with a 15 second sprint of the young adult housing compound and their living quarters are not protected against rocket attacks. My Brother’s Keeper International is doing something about this.

SOLUTION

In cooperation with Kibbutz Urim and the Eshkol Regional Council/County, MBKI is raising funds for the purchase of  two 7 ton portable bomb shelters for the young adult housing compound.
Each bomb shelter from production to placement cost $17,580 The total cost of the project is $35,161

6 sq meter reinforced concrete bomb shelter can protect up to 15 adults and is designed to withstand Grad and Fajr-5 rockets

Time is of the essence. The next group of young adults arrive in Kibbutz Urim early August 2019 and it takes 35 days for the construction and delivery of the bomb shelters. MBKI’s goal is to have the bomb shelters ordered by July 1, 2019
If you have any questions or would like your donation to be in honor or memory of a loved one please contact dov@mbki.org


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Hot Lunch Program

Since 2005 MBKI has been providing kosher, meat-based hot lunches every school year in Israel. Tens of thousands of lunches have been delivered. People are surprised to discover that most elementary schools and kindergartens in Israel do not have cafeterias. Children bring their lunches to school. However, children from single parent homes often come to school empty-handed and hungry. Children who are hungry cannot learn. For us, this is an issue of justice and compassion.

At the beginning of every school year, MBKI field staff and school administrators meet to complete an assessment based on the needs of the children in their schools. MBKI subsidizes the cost of feeding the children hot lunches on a sliding scale ranging from 40% to 100%. The school or kindergarten contracts with a local caterer to prepare and deliver the meals daily.

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YOUTH BASEBALL IN JUDEA

MBKI is excited to announce our partnership with the Efrat Youth Baseball League in the Gush Etzion county south of Jerusalem. Spring training is underway for the 200 boys and girls age 7 to 15 years old who are registered in one of the three leagues. We have committed to providing scholarships for any child that wants to play baseball but whose family cannot afford the registration fee. Furthermore, we plan on providing a grant to help cover the costs of new equipment and field improvement. 

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THE HEALING FOREST

MBKI is partnering with the Kiryat Arba/Hebron Municipality and the Alonei Mamre Girls elementary school to develop land behind the school and build a large pergola surrounded by a forest of shade trees, interconnected paths and hands on experiential learning ecological education stations. These stations will include a live fish pond, compost for the school’s student operated greenhouse, wind/solar energy and temperature station, spice and herb garden and a small animal farm to introduce the girls to animal science and husbandry.

The pergola will be utilized as an ecological education classroom and will be dedicated to the memory of 19 year old Sgt. Ron Kokia hy”d who was murdered in the city of Arad November 30, 2017.


Project Name: Healing Forest

Project Steering Team: Dov ben Zion Gelman, President My Brother’s Keeper International, Mrs. Yael Klein, Principal of Alonei Mamre Girl’s Elementary School, Dov Zwerling, Executive Committee Shomri Achienu Y’rushalyim, Avi Shushan, Director of Education Kiryat Arba/Hebron

Proposed Project Budget
Grading and soil preparation for construction: $6,000
Trees and paths: $4,000
20 Meter Pergola: $ 5,200
Educational learning stations: $6,000
Administration of project: $4,000
Estimated total: $25,200
Phase 1& 2 Land preparation, pergola construction and shade tree mini forest

19 year old Sgt. Ron Kokia hy”d Infantryman with the Nahal Brigade. 

Future location of the Healing Forest.  Avi Shushan Director of Education Kiryat Arba and Dov ben Zion President of MBKI

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Kindergarten Adoption

We offer a Kindergarten Adoption Program that empowers educators to care for and teach their children while being fully resourced.

THE NEED

Israeli kindergartens operate separately from local municipal elementary schools. The kindergartens MBKI partners with are in low income neighborhoods or rural villages. The majority of the children come from single parent homes. As a result of their socioeconomic situation, our kindergartens are underfunded and are unable to access resources.

THE SOLUTION

Our Kindergarten Adoption Program pairs inner-city and rural kindergartens with donors in the US and Europe. Each school year MBKI’s staff conducts needs assessments with our partner kindergarten educators to identify their program goals, access to educational resources and determine financial needs.

MBKI provides supplemental budgets to our partner kindergartens that cover the costs of subsidized lunches, educational equipment, books, supplies, toys, field trips, enrichment classes and infrastructure improvement.

HOW IT WORKS

Donors are paired with partner kindergartens throughout the course of an academic school year. Your $4,000 donation is divided into quarterly payments and distributed to the educators based on the action plan designed by MBKI field staff. Donors have the ability to communicate with their adopted kindergarten and arrange a visit during the school year.

MBKI field staff designs a uniquely tailored action plan for every kindergarten, oversees the distribution of the donation, conducts fiscal compliance inspections, provides logistical support and acts as the liaison with the donor in all forms of communication.

“Now is the time to invest our best efforts in the lives of the children. Now-when they are starting to bloom.”

Karen Arosti ~ Principal Zalman Aran Elementary School, Jerusalem

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First Responders Assistance

In times of war and national crisis in Israel, MBKI has been called upon to lend a strong hand. First Responders Assistance is a program designed to mobilize MBKI’s supporters to provide critical life saving equipment to the civilian organizations and first responders in the communities throughout Israel that we operate our educational programs.

MBKI partnered with The City of Sderot, the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, One Israel Fund, Hatzalah Yehuda and Shomron and local first responder teams. MBKI Volunteers and donors in the US have supported our collaborative projects during Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009), Operation Protective Edge (2014) and the current wave of terrorism (2015- ).

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Urban Family Emergency Fund

The most vulnerable members of Israeli society are the single mothers and their children. MBKI operates a fund that provides emergency food and clothing vouchers for these moms. This fund is administered in partnership with one of Jerusalem’s largest inner-city elementary school.

“When a single mom reaches the end of her rope and resources she has a place to turn.”
Dov ben Zion President MBKI


Completed Programs

IFAKS – In Memory of Arifuld-Hyd

Operation Southern Solidarity

Shutaf Summer Camp

“Path of the Fallen” Memorial Building Project

Hope from the Flames: MBKI Response to the devastating fires in Israel

InVest Medical First Responder Equipment

About Us

My Brother’s Keeper International’s mission is to restore hope and create educational solutions for children and families living in poverty and conflict zones in Israel. MBKI has been on the cutting edge of community and school-based program development and delivery since 2005.

Our basket of services are tailor-made to remove obstacles to learning that are unique to children, families and educators that struggle from the effects of urban poverty, geographical isolation and armed conflict.

The source of our success is the collaborative partnerships we have established with Israeli educators, municipal and county authorities and community and business leaders. Together with our US and European donors we are able to empower, resource and care for the most vulnerable of Israeli society, the children.

My Brother’s Keeper International is a registered 501(c)3 not for profit corporation in the United States. All donations are tax-exempt.

For more information, comments, or questions Email Us!


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