JCA launches emergency relief appeal – Bondi Beach terror attack
The Jewish Communal Appeal has announced an emergency funding response following the terror attack targeting the Jewish community at Bondi Beach on Sunday 14 December, describing the move as unprecedented in the organisation’s history.
In a special resolution passed by its Board of Governors, the Jewish Communal Appeal confirmed it will, for the first time, provide funding beyond its member organisations. The funding will be available to existing Jewish community organisations that are Australian-registered DGR-1 charities and are delivering frontline support to the local community.
JCA said the decision reflects the “unimaginable circumstances, trauma and uncertainty” confronting the community following the attack, as well as the urgent need to ensure all critical services are adequately resourced to respond across the community.
The emergency funding will assist organisations to deliver essential services including crisis support, trauma care, practical assistance, individual welfare, and community safety in the aftermath of the attack. JCA said guidelines outlining how eligible organisations can apply for the funding will be released shortly and provided directly to the leadership of those organisations.
To help meet anticipated funding needs, JCA has launched the Community Relief Appeal in partnership with the Dor Foundation and Australian Jewish Funders. The initial purpose of the fund is to provide immediate and ongoing support to victims, families, and the broader community impacted by the attack, with the scope of the fund expected to expand over time as needs evolve.
JCA Governors have also approved an initial drawdown of up to $2.5 million from JCA’s Bequest Fund to ensure resources are available where they are needed most.
In its statement, JCA said it wanted to assure the Sydney Jewish community that it is not alone and that support, care, and leadership are being mobilised in response to the attack.
JCA President Ian Sandler said the events at Bondi Beach had shaken the community deeply.
“What occurred at Bondi Beach has shaken our community to its core,” Sandler said. “In moments like these, we must respond not only with words of comfort but with action, courage and compassion. JCA exists to care for our community, and in this moment of immense pain, we are extending that care as widely as needed. We will stand alongside every family, every victim, and every organisation on the frontlines, united in our determination to support one another and to bring light, dignity and hope, even in the darkest of times.”
Donations to the Community Relief Fund are now open at bondirelief.org.au
