Laura King, Co-Chair Alabama-Israel Task Force
July 11th, 2014
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, so begins Charles Dickens classic, “A Tale of Two Cities”. Arguably the worst of times can be defined as being at war as the State of Israel finds itself today with Hamas in the Gaza strip. However, there couldn't be a better time then now for me to tell you about the Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response (EPDR) program that is being put together by the Israel Leadership Institute (ILI) with support from the Alabama-Israel Task Force (AITF).
Let's tell a tale of two cities. Lets make them Sderot and Huntsville. In Sderot today the population is under siege and is forced to repeatedly respond to emergency/disasters. Sderot has had residential homes, factories, (one of which caused a toxic cloud to engulf the city), and apartment housing for elderly residents - many of which are Holocaust survivors - struck by rockets, artillery and mortars. These weapons chaotically target the area randomly striking in the general vicinity of Sderot and Israel proper.
Huntsville, Alabama and the surrounding area is a constant target of a different sort of random strike, mostly precipitated by the weather but no less deadly and destructive. No doubt you all know what I am referring to, yes tornados. When disasters hit here - and they do - our police, fire, and medical services are stretched to take care of the victims of these strikes. Like a rocket, artillery, and mortars, it is almost impossible to predict where exactly one of these will land.
In Sderot, there is the alarm system that warns residents to find shelter within 15 second before impact. In Huntsville we also have an early warning system and we take cover. Just as our emergency services are stretched, the same thing happens across Israel and Sderot. It is further complicated by the fact that many of those who work in those fields are called up as reservists and their first priority now becomes fighting the war.
What stands in this gap? Leadership that is trained and ready to take on these tasks. The EPDR program and Disaster Response Center, an arm of the Israel Leadership Institute in Sderot on the Gaza border, will train young leaders from both Israel and Alabama to step in to aid the population while others deal with more urgent matters. How do we do this effectively and with the level of urgency needed? We use a program and curriculum that is taught by proven leaders , with years of experience which includes, general officers from the military, ex Knesset members , educators and psychologists who give young leaders as realistic as possible decision making experience through role playing as different municipal leaders in charge of the various services and resources needed in an emergency situation.
Our leaders in training learn to adapt to realistic scenarios and to step through overcoming obstacles using available resources during times of crisis. We develop leaders who are able to respond with clarity when required, to ensure the safety and well being of the populace. The requirement for decisive and prepared leadership exists in both of our cities and indeed both of our states (Alabama and Israel). The EPDR center and the training will help both Israel and Alabama confront the challenges inherent with disaster response rapidly, effectively, and enhance our ability to protect lives.
How soon do we need this program? Judge for yourself. At this very moment Israel is experiencing a constant bombardment of rockets, artillery and mortars, that is now reaching to the major population centers of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Huntsville and the surrounding area just this spring experienced yet another round of deadly tornados. The time is NOW. This special opportunity to partner and support Israel is unique in that it is reciprocal and does something for both Israel and Alabama. It has far reaching effects that we will feel for generations.
For more information on how you can help and make the EPDR Center a reality for both of our cities/states (Sderot/Israel and Huntsville/Alabama) please visit our website (www.aitf-web.org) - all donations are tax-deductible. Join us in partnering together to make a more secure future for all of us. And maybe, just maybe, in time we will write our own Tale of Two Cities/States and tell others how we stood together in the worst of times to bring us all through to the best of times.
Laura King
Former National Chair, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)
Former President, Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama (JFHNA)
Co-Chair and Founding Member, Alabama-Israel Task Force (AITF)
