Give Manal and her Children Hope for a Future

My name is Amita Jarmon. Manal Aabed is an English teacher in Rafah, Gaza. My Israeli friend, Lisa Waldbaum, has been in touch with Manal via Facebook for 4 years. She connected us in December, when Manal needed help to pay rent. Since then, their home was destroyed and she and her husband and relatives lived in a tent with their 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter. At that time, she wrote: "We can't think of future because we don't know if we'll live to or not. Life or death await us; we don't know." I was very moved when she wrote in February: "Insha'Allah war will end, i will try to teach you and Lisa some Arabic. I know some words in Hebrew. I learned Hebrew in university. We always try to learn Hebrew to be able to speak and live with you."

Thanks to all who donated in Feb, March and April, we were able to send Manal $3000. Miraculously, she and her little family are still alive, although her brother was killed, as were many friends and relatives. Lisa and I have been following her experience through the horrors of this war, having to move numerous times. She is trying to get food and water, and keep her 2 young children alive in extreme weather and constant war. They had to leave Rafah, and could not carry the tent that they bought with your donations. They are now in Central Gaza, caught in the war zone. She wanted to stay in Gaza, but after nearly 9 months of horror, she is totally drained and desperately seeking a way out. In her most recent message she wrote:

"Can you help me and find a way to go to USA to get an MA in English or Education? I want to find a new hope to continue."

P.S. I, Amita, will state the obvious: Helping individuals is a bandaid. We need a bilateral ceasefire. We need a hostage exchange -- ideally one that does not include the release of prisoners who blew up buses and cafes or who committed atrocities on Oct 7, but that may not be possible. We need a just way forward for Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace and dignity together. It's important to support political efforts, and to support organizations like Standing Together and A Land for All who are working towards a better future for all. AND, knowing one woman in Gaza has made this personal for me. Save one life, save a world.