OneFamily is an Israel based philanthropic organization. OneFamily is the family of Israel's victims of militant attacks - those who have been bereaved, those who have been maimed, and those suffering from Post-Trauma as a result of terror attacks since 2000. OneFamily empowers victims to rebuild their lives, rehabilitate, and reintegrate through therapeutic assistance programs geared towards orphans of both parents, orphans of one parent, bereaved parents, widow and widowers, bereaved siblings, and wounded victims.
Contents
Foundation
Michal Belzberg was preparing for her Bat Mitzvah in Jerusalem when a suicide bombing struck the crowded Sbarro restaurant in the city's downtown on the day of her 12th birthday. Fifteen people were murdered and 130 men, women and children were wounded. It was the most deadly attack in Jerusalem since the beginning of the Intifadah in September 2000.
In the wake of such sorrow and destruction, Michal felt that she could not hold a celebration, so she cancelled her Bat Mitzvah party in order to contribute the Bat Mitzvah's expenses to victims of the attack. In addition, she encouraged friends and family to give the victims everything they had planned on giving her.
Michal and the Belzberg family raised over $100,000, but quickly realized that was not nearly enough to address the suffering of the growing number of Israelis affected by terror. In that moment, OneFamily was born.
Since its inception, OneFamily has grown into a large volunteer-based non-profit organization providing much needed assistance to thousands of terror victims throughout Israel on a daily basis.
Organization
The group has representatives in the United States, England and Canada. The organization's board of directors includes Canadian politician Irwin Cotler, American lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and former Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi.
Actions
The organization has distributed $34 million to more than 2,700 victims and families of victims since its founding. As of December 2011
What Good Fences Make funding
In 2009 American playwright Israel Horovitz wrote a short play entitled What Strong Fences Make in response to British playwright Caryl Churchill's play Seven Jewish Children". Horovitz has offered to allow any theater that wishes to produce What Strong Fences Make free of royalties, provided that a collection is taken up for the benefit of ONE Family Fund.