Sunrise-Israel Urgent Campaign

For more than a dozen years, Sunrise’s programs in Israel have been an immense source of pride as we provided respite and normalcy for thousands of Israeli children afflicted with cancer – both Jewish and Arab. Today our hearts are broken as we witness the horrible loss of innocent lives from this horrendous conflict: the displacement, the fear and the sobering impact of this unprovoked war. As we watch the region devolve into turmoil, we fear for our Sunrise-Israel partners, our families and the stability of these life-affirming programs that we have worked so hard to build over countless years.

While our families in Israel are forced to deal with the overwhelming issues that arise after a cancer diagnosis, the war has created a level of fear and anxiety that has elevated these concerns to near-unmanageable levels. Whatever amount of normalcy these children have left is now impacted hourly by the endless relocation to bomb shelters, the scenes of chaos surrounding them in hospitals that previously were seen as centers of healing and safety, and the deafening sounds of explosions and sirens. Parents have been called to active army duty, children are afraid to leave their homes, and families have been relocated out of harm’s way as projectiles fly over their communities. Our staff have also been impacted, as they must divide their time to meet the challenges of living and working in a country at war, even as they struggle emotionally to manage the images of the inhumane horrors they have witnessed.