January 8, 2009 / 12 Tevet 5769

On Thursday January 8, 2009, the Jewish Agency for Israel took 1,550 children from the war-torn southern region of Israel on a fun-filled respite day. The children and their parents filled 28 buses.

The children were divided by age; each group went to different attractions in the center of the country including the Ramat Gan Safari and site-seeing in Jerusalem. The children are from Sderot, Ashkelon, and Sdot Negev—communities that are under most immediate attack and have been hardest hit by this crisis.

Children looking forward to a day of fun and relaxation, far away from Kassam range.

1,650 children will participate in similar respite day trips on Friday January 9th, and an additional  7,000 will do so on January 12th. Such trips and activities are scheduled to continue for the duration of the emergency situation.

Families waiting for a bus at a shelter in Moshav Shokeda to take children to safety.

These activities were made possible through the generous support of the United Jewish Communities/Federations of North America.