Shelly Harel Pitman, aged 30, is the founder and CEO of "La'Aretz Foundation”, a philanthropic fund supporting Israelis and Jews worldwide. Shelly founded
La’Aretz in 2022 with her husband Mike Pitman to assist humanitarian cases of Aliyah and return to Israel. In the first year, the Foundation, led by Shelly and volunteers, successfully aided over 100 cases of Aliyah and return to Israel, including cancer patients, the elderly, and families facing bureaucratic or economic challenges. The third year of the foundation coincided with the October 7th attack
on Israel. Shelly decided to leverage "La'Aretz" to raise funds for the war effort. The fund that was raised benefited Israeli citizens affected by the terrorist attack, including the transportation of over 600 reserve soldiers to Israel. The foundation grants up to $10,000 to each surviving family affected by the attack, based on criteria such as the main breadwinner's death or kidnapping and/ or a destroyed, uninhabitable house. Additionally, La’Aretz is supporting the women behind the reserves, providing direct grants to families of reservist, focusing on both women in reserves and women in active duty. As
well as providing reserve soldier scholarships in partnership with the College of Management and Academic Studies. The foundation continues to promote immigration and return to Eretz Yisrael, believing that Israel is strongest when its citizens receive backing and support.
“By strengthening communitiesand contributing to Israel’soverall strength, we endeavor to create a brighter future for all its citizens.”The mission of the La’Aretz Foundation is to address the challenges faced by its citizens. La’Aretz Foundation’s approach emphasizes direct support, minimizing bureaucracy, and ensuring donors witness the impact of their contributions. Through various types of projects, ranging from direct financial aid to families in need to scholarships for reserve soldiers, the Foundation strives to enhance the comfort and resilience of Israel as a home for its people.La’Aretz is one of the few organizations that directly assist Israeli families. La’Aretz was established to provide humanitarian support to Israelis and Jews abroad in cases involving “Aliya” and the return to Israel. Following the tragic events of October 7th, thousands of Israeli families endured profound
suffering. Many continue to grapple with uncertainty, unaware of the whereabouts of kidnapped family members. Conversations with these families stirred us to action, prompting us to provide assistance through direct financial aid and ongoing support as they strive to rebuild their lives. Now, we are providing direct support to families in Israel affected by the attacks. The affected families are those who have lost their homes during the attack or families whose primary breadwinners have been killed or a family member has been taken hostage. After thorough verification by our team, we provide each family with a total of $2,500, which goes directly to the family members, without passing through any other organization. •
www.laaretz.org
By NIR SARID
Photos by Nissim Harosh
Photo by Ohad Kab
WOMEN MARCH 2024
This article is taken from The Jerusalem Post, 'Women - Heroines of Swords of Iron' Magazine 2024. To read the entire magazine, click here.