Amudim raises $5m. to help victims of abuse, addiction in Orthodox world
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a massive increase in demand for Amudim's services with case volume rising exponentially.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFWhen rap meets soul - Levy Falkowitz and Nissim Black.(photo credit: AMUDIM)Amudim, a crisis center focusing on combating sexual abuse, trauma and addictions in the Orthodox community, raised over $5 million at the 36-hour "Unite to Heal" event that featured rabbis, metal health professionals and celebrities.Some 10,319 donors helped Amudim reach the final sum of $5,034,632.Unite to Heal will enable Amudim to hire three new caseworkers who will help the organization contend with the huge increase in need Amudim has seen during the coronavirus pandemic.The coronavirus pandemic has caused a massive increase in demand for Amudim's services with case volume rising exponentially. There has been an 82% increase in active cases and Amudim opened 189 new cases in the first two weeks of December.The campaign also served as an awareness event which, ironically, means that even though the event will reduce strain on the organization by enabling the hire of new staff, it also generated more demand for the services provided.“Based on what we’ve seen these last weeks, we’re anticipating a steady increase in calls for assistance in 2021, and we’ll do whatever it takes to meet that demand,” pledged Amudim co-founder and CEO Rabbi Zvi Gluck.“Baruch Hashem, we’ve seen stigmas that prevented people from seeking help eradicated, watched communities begin to embrace those in pain instead of pushing them aside, and we’re of the growing awareness of abuse, addiction and mental health issues.”Donors hailed from 33 US states and 24 different Israeli cities as well as countries around the world including Canada, England, Ukraine, Mexico, Panama and Spain.“This was the vision of our founder, Mendy Klein z”l, who wanted to ensure that Jewish communities across the world would have access to services as those provided by Amudim,” Gluck said.“Mendy would remind us over and over again that no matter how much we did it was never enough, and we continue to perpetuate his legacy by doing everything we can, and then some, so that no one in our communities should ever suffer in silence.”
