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9/11 Fund

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In the wake of September 11th, the Jewish community responds — generously.

In the immediate aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Jewish social service agenciles were taxed beyond anything they had ever experienced. As the weeks went by, the demand for services con-tinued, as people struggled to come to terms with what had happened—to their own lives, to their acquaintances, to their perceptions of reality.

Despite their already-strained budgets, Jewish agencies in the New York, Wash-ington, and Boston areas were able to respond to all of these needs thanks to the UJC 9/11 Fund.

Andrea Russin was pregnant with twins when her husband, a partner at Cantor Fitzgerald, was killed on September 11th. Olivia and Ariella were born just a few days after their father's death. Friends from her synagogue in Morris County, New Jersey, organized squads to help Andrea with child care for the twins and their two-year-old brother Alec, but it soon became clear that more stability was needed. Within a week, Jewish Family Services of Metrowest had agreed to provide a full-time nanny. "This really helps me to function," Andrea said.

On September 11th, when UJC opened its emergency mailbox to accept donations, money immediately began flowing from Jewish communities all over the country to UJC and to local federations. The 9/11 Fund served as a conduit, distributing these funds to the agencies that, in turn, provided money and services to the people who needed them. The Fund spends no money on administrative costs; every penny it collects goes directly to the agencies providing the services.

Thanks to donations large and small, the 9/11 Fund has raised over $5,400,000 and has disbursed almost $3,900,000. It grew out of the Emergency Relief Fund, which was established 14 years ago to respond to Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina and has since responded to natural disasters like the Seattle earthquake and floods along the Mississippi and man-made disasters like Oklahoma City.

From previous disaster experiences, the UJC Emergency Committee recognized that some needs of people affected by the disaster—especially the victims' families—begin to manifest themselves after the first year, so some funds have been reserved for longer term needs and for further assistance to families who may need continuing help. Without this funding, says Mel Cohen, executive director of Jewish Family Services of Monmouth County, "we could not move forward as the needs grow and mental health and family problems emerge. The Jewish community really supports Jewish social service agencies. Because of UJC funding, we're in it for the long haul."

Annual Report Table of Contents:

Mobilizing Our Jewish Values | Annual Campaign | 9/11 Fund | Israel Emergency Campaign  Missions | Israel Overseas: Argentina | Planned Giving and Endowments | Renaissance and Renewal Alliance | Human Services And Social Policy | FedWeb |  How UJC Works