Kibbutz Be'eri Emergency Relief: Birthday Appeal

Hello! For my 23rd birthday, I am hoping to raise 23,000 shekels to support the families of Kibbutz Be’eri.

I was fortunate enough to visit Be’eri for a very short period while studying in Israel last year. The stories of the residents of Be'eri—their devotion to their community and resilience despite omnipresent cross-border threats—reminds me of my own family's kibbutz near Israel's northern border where I have spent significant time growing up.

As many of you know, Kibbutz Be’eri was devastated on the morning of October 7th. That morning, the kibbutz lost 10% of its residents, not to mention catastrophic damage to homes and trauma that will forever live with every person who calls Be’eri home.

The Ask:

Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated and vital to the recovery of Be’eri.

The Kibbutz has identified four areas of greatest need to which donations from this fundraiser will be directed:

Background:

Kibbutz Be'eri was founded in 1946 in an idyllic landscape boasting famous wildflowers among rolling green hills—making it a popular destination for cyclists. The Kibbutz, like many others near the Gazan border, has long stood for tolerance and charity. Be’eri lies just three miles from the Gazan border and has fostered a charitable relationship with its neighbors. Be’eri residents have a tradition of raising money to support Gazan families and there are numerous stories of Be’eri residents driving Gazans in need of medical care to hospitals in Israel.

On the morning of October 7th, as residents awoke for Shabbat and the conclusion of Sukkot, Kibbutz Be’eri was shaken at its core.

In a matter of hours, Be’eri lost 1 in 10 of its residents.

That morning, more than 130 residents of Be’eri were tortured and killed in their homes and it is believed that as many as 30 residents are being held hostage in Gaza at this moment.

The full extent of the attack is not yet known and the whereabouts of some of the Kibbutz’s ~1,200 residents remains unresolved. Not a single resident was untouched; each lost a parent, child, friend, or neighbor, and all lost the community they call home.

Many of the Be’eri’s residents have spent their entire lives on the Kibbutz. It was not uncommon for multiple generations of the same family to live just a few doors down from one another. Many parents went to school in the same building their children learned in, a building now reduced to rubble alongside much of Be’eri’s community buildings and many of its homes. Some residents continue to live without knowing what of their belongings remain, with pictures continuing to be shared in the media of homes reduced to little more than ash.

The survivors of Kibbutz Be’eri now live across the country as refugees in their own state seared with the mental wounds of October 7th and the continued anxiety surrounding their missing friends, family, and neighbors.

Support at any level is appreciated. Even small donations can help pay the wages of education and therapy staff, or enable residents to purchase gas to reunite with family in other parts of Israel.

Although this fundraiser will largely rely on the modest generosity of many individuals, if you or someone you know is interested in making a larger donation towards the rebuilding of Be’eri, please reach out to me using the "contact" button above and I can put you in touch with the Kibbutz to coordinate that gift. Naming opportunities are available to support the rebuilding of various buildings in the Kibbutz.

For a more personal look at Kibbutz Be’eri and the events of October 7th, please read the personal narratives of residents and listen to the testimonies of Golan Abitbul and Yarnin Peled .

Thank you for your support!