In the dark days following Oct. 7, when Israel was reeling from the shock and sorrow of the attacks, thousands of families from the country’s north and south were torn from their homes. Entire communities — from Shlomi and Kiryat Shmona to the Gaza Envelope — were evacuated with little more than a suitcase and the clothes on their backs. Along with them, they carried trauma, fear, and uncertainty about what tomorrow might bring.
Following the outbreak of the war, numerous employment programs were launched for evacuees. Yet, none addressed those receiving government welfare allowances—a group largely overlooked precisely because of their dependency on such aid. In Haifa, we observed that many kindergarten and school-aged evacuees who struggled to integrate into the local education system came from this very population. Conversations in the hotels revealed a deeper challenge: when parents lack a daily routine or motivation to leave their rooms, they are less likely to engage their children in educational frameworks. We recognized the urgent need to offer these families tailored employment opportunities that promote personal agency, self-worth, and ultimately strengthen family resilience.
Amid this national heartbreak, a beacon of light emerged through an extraordinary partnership initiated by CJP’s Haifa-Boston Connection and Haifa’s alumni and members of the Maoz Leadership Program Network, with JFNA, CJP, and the Israeli nonprofit Be-Atzmi, an organization that for over 30 years has helped individuals facing poverty, unemployment, and personal crises rebuild their lives through employment and entrepreneurship.
Be-Atzmi is the only organization in Israel that provides a unique, trauma-informed model — combining emotional and mental support with practical career guidance and business development. This holistic approach became a lifeline for evacuees seeking stability and hope. Through connections fostered by the Ma’oz leadership network — itself the vision of Bostonian Jeff Swartz — CJP and Be-Atzmi formed a powerful alliance that has already assisted more than 100 evacuated families in Haifa. Many of these families are now beginning to return home, continuing their healing and reintegration journey with Be-Atzmi’s support in their local communities.
One story that captures the power of this partnership is that of professor Yevgeny Frizant.
Before the war, Yevgeny was leading a breakthrough agricultural-tech startup developing solar-powered spectral splitting technologies. His vision? To ensure food security in Israel and build cross-border agricultural collaborations with neighboring Arab states. But on Oct. 7, it all came crashing down. Evacuated from Shlomi to Haifa, and cut off from his partners in the south, Yevgeny recalls falling into a deep sense of loss: “It felt like a black hole.”
Then came a phone call that would change everything.
Michal Blank, a Be-Atzmi team member working in Haifa with support from CJP, invited Yevgeny to join a group for displaced men. Hesitant at first, he eventually attended — and slowly, new seeds of hope began to take root. In one of the meetings, Yevgeny shared his dormant startup idea. The Be-Atzmi team listened — and didn’t hesitate to act.
Efrat Shefer, formerly CEO of Philips Israel, an alumnus of the Maoz Leadership Program itself, and nowadays the chair of Haifa-Boston Connection, joined forces with Be-Atzmi to revive Yevgeny’s dream. Within weeks, Be-Atzmi paired him with a senior business mentor with over a decade of experience in agricultural innovation. What began as emotional support turned into a true business partnership. Today, Yevgeny is on the road to relaunching his startup, meeting with CJP delegations, including one recently led by CJP president & CEO Marc Baker, to raise the necessary capital.
This is not just a comeback story. It’s a testament to the kind of impact that only a community like Boston can make.
Because of CJP’s unwavering commitment, Yevgeny and many others are not only surviving this crisis, they are thriving, innovating, and leading the way forward. In helping them rebuild, CJP is planting the seeds of Israel’s renewal.
Now, Yevgeny’s dream needs investors, and we continue to accompany him until he achieves his vision: to power food security and regional cooperation through solar innovation, which is more relevant than ever. In Yevgeny’s story lies the essence of CJP’s impact: not just crisis response, but long-term healing, empowerment, and transformation.
Avnet Kleiner is head of the partnerships and communications division at Be-Atzmi. Avnet has over 17 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He is responsible for fundraising, partnerships and external affairs. He founded two organizations: ALFA, which supports Holocaust survivors, and WhatIsReal, which promotes advocacy for Jewish communities. Avnet served as director of development for ADI Negev in the USA under Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog and later led crowdfunding initiatives at CauseMatch. He once represented Israel in the World Indoor Soccer University Championship and represented the USA Maccabi team in the 2022 Maccabi Games in Israel.
Oshrat Gafni-Moyal has been part of CJP’s Boston-Haifa Connection since 2021 and has served as its deputy director since 2023. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives that strengthen civil society in Israel while deepening the partnership between Haifa and the Jewish community of Greater Boston. Her work spans key areas of impact, including shared society, education, employment and leadership development—particularly within underrepresented populations. Oshrat is passionate about creating platforms for young voices, cultivating inclusive leadership and turning the values of equity, belonging and mutual responsibility into tangible impact on the ground.
Hilla Perlman-Pniel is director of CJP’s Boston-Haifa Connection. She lives in Haifa with her husband and two children. She served in the Israel Defense Forces for five years as a logistics and technology administrative officer. Hilla has worked in the education and social fields for the past 20 years and is an experienced leader in shared society and community building. She was the founding director of Parents at the Center, a revolutionary model for early childhood parental engagement and risk prevention, taking the program from a small pilot to a national model for Haifa and Israel. She is an expert in creating meaningful partnerships with local and national partners, including the Haifa Municipality, University of Haifa, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Israel’s Ministry of Education, Jewish federations and more. Hilla has been working with CJP for the past 13 years.