Jewish Agency announces $14m project to support families in Israel’s periphery

The Jewish Agency “Youth Futures” project, which seeks to aid at-risk youth and their families in Israel’s periphery, will receive state recognition as a government project, with a multimillion dollar expansion, the agency says.

The Jewish Agency “will expand its activities and support thousands of children and their families who were affected during the war, with an investment of approximately 14 million dollars over three years,” beginning in 2025, the agency says.

State recognition will enable additional programming to be implemented with fewer bureaucratic procedures, the agency says, adding: “This expansion is the result of a broad partnership between government and municipal administrations and philanthropic agencies.”

Groups supporting the initiative include the Education Ministry, Mifal HaPayis (Israel’s state lottery), the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee, Keren HaYesod, the Mandel Foundation, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and others, the announcement says.

The expanded initiative is to be unveiled at a Tuesday ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem and will be officiated by President Isaac Herzog.