In the wake of the devastating October 7 attacks, the Mandel Foundation mobilized quickly to support the State of Israel and its citizens, allocating over USD $40 million to a range of philanthropic initiatives over the course of the last 14 months. These grants, awarded to U.S.-based organizations and also given directly to organizations within Israel, aimed to help mitigate the immediate impact of the attacks and to support long-term recovery efforts.

The Foundation's support spanned a variety of sectors. One of the largest allocations was recently given to the Jewish Agency for Israel: a $10 million grant to help rebuild areas impacted by the October 7 attacks, specifically focused on settling 1,000 new families into the area. An additional $1 million was allocated to bolster security for Jewish communities throughout Israel. The relocation of residents from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community devastated by the attacks, was supported by a $5 million grant to the Staying Together initiative.

The Foundation also contributed three grants totaling $13.5 million to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland for emergency relief in Israel, bomb shelter renovations, and the reconstruction of dairy farm facilities at Kibbutz Kissufim. Similarly, the Jewish Federations of North America received $2 million to support the ReGrow Israel farmers’ fund, which aims to rebuild agriculture in the south following the severe damage inflicted by Hamas.

Targeted contributions were also made to initiatives in northern Israel. A $131,630 grant was given to an initiative providing computers for remote learning to children in a city near the Lebanese border that has been under heavy bombardment throughout the war. United Hatzalah, Israel’s nationwide volunteer emergency medical service, received two grants totaling $650,000 to support its emergency response operations, with one grant specifically addressing the needs of northern cities and towns.

In addition to addressing immediate relief needs, the Foundation also focused on preserving the memory of October 7 through a grant to the National Library of Israel to support the OCT7Memorial project. Spearheaded by Yaniv Hegyi, a graduate of the Mandel Program for Regional Leadership in the Gaza Border Communities, the project collects firsthand accounts of the October 7 attacks and makes them accessible in multiple languages through a digital memorial center.

The Foundation demonstrated its ongoing commitment to education by contributing $500,000 to support university students serving in the reserves, helping them balance their educational commitments with military service. In addition, $200,000 was given to the Ayalim Association to fund scholarships for students in the Gaza border communities and northern Israel. To date, the Mandel Foundation–Israel has also given out $850,000 in grants to support war-related initiatives led by Mandel graduates in Israel.

The Foundation’s giving during this time of crisis reflects its unwavering commitment to supporting Israel’s resilience and strengthening Israeli society during this challenging period.