Emergency Funding needed for Ethiopian Israeli Support - Wuste Tzega

Wuste Tzega is a nonprofit organization and center in Israel providing mental health therapy tailored to the cultural and life experiences of traditional communities in Israel, particularly the Ethiopian Jewish community. Given the crisis today, Wuste Tzega is now expanding its services to offer telephone counselling and emotional support in multiple languages, including Amharic. Friends of Ethiopian Jews has worked with Wuste Tzega for several years, with great appreciation for their dedication and effectiveness.

The team of therapists at Wusta Tzega is well-prepared to offer telephonic counselling and emotional support to Israeli citizens, with a specific focus on Ethiopian Jews. This initiative aims to break down language and cultural barriers that may deter individuals from seeking help, drawing on our extensive experience working with this community in various emergency situations across the country.

Notably, there is a substantial concentration of Ethiopian Jews in the southern region of Israel, including cities like Ashkelon, Kiryat Malakhi, Kiryat Gat, Netivot, and others. Presently, there is no dedicated telephone support available for this population,

To provide professional and timely assistance during these challenging times of emotional distress, Wuste Tzega is seeking $48,000 in financial support. Wusta Tzega has already enlisted eight skilled professionals who will be offering tailored support in the coming weeks. Each therapist will be available for emergency cases, counseling, referrals and resources to those in need. Your support will make a significant difference in their ability to reach and assist those who require our services during these chaotic and vulnerable times.

Wuste Tzega - which means "Spring of Hope" in Amharic - was founded in 2017 by Director Yeshitu Samuel who received her MA from Tel Aviv University in clinical social work, specializing in trauma and stress. Ms. Samuel came to Israel in 1983 at the age of 11, after having walked on foot thru the desert in Sudan. Her work with Ethiopian Israelis suffering trauma and stress is ground-breaking and is very very much-needed at this time of horror and crisis in Israel.

The $48,000 will pay for creating and disseminating via media, text and social media culturally sensitive notices about the services - all bi-lingual - and for the therapists who will be available via hotline and in person, as well as all operational costs. It is anticipated that the need for services will only rise as the crisis continues and especially in the aftermath when people need to grieve and make sense of what has happened.