Selected from more than 125 applicants, EmotionAid© will support municipal staff along Israel’s northern border
JERUSALEM September 2026 Selected from a field of more than 125 organizations that applied, EmotionAid©, an Israeli-based non-profit, has been awarded a grant through the Genesis Prize Foundation–Jewish Funders Network matching grants initiative honoring 2026 Genesis Prize Laureate Gal Gadot. The grant is matched by the Gerald Ronson Family Foundation, a member of Jewish Funders Network. Together with support fromTeva’s Support the Soul Program, this funding will enable EmotionAid© to strengthen trauma response among municipal staff in communities along Israel’s northern border.
The awarded project began with the Ma’ale Yosef Regional Council, with a hoped-for expansion to Shlomi. Municipal employees have helped residents navigate war, displacement, loss and prolonged uncertainty. At the same time, many have been coping with the effects of these experiences in their own lives. Their daily contact with residents puts them in a position to notice distress early, but it also places sustained demands on them.
26 organizations were chosen for the prestigious grants, including United Hatzalah and Bichvil Ah Tahar. View the complete list here: Helping the Helpers | The Genesis Prize
EmotionAid© will equip staff with practical tools to recognize early signs of trauma and grief, respond to residents in distress, and protect their own emotional well-being. The work is intended to build the capacity of local teams so they can continue to support their communities through recovery and future challenges.
“Municipal staff have been a steady presence for residents through an extraordinarily difficult period, even as they face their own stress and losses,” said Dr. Cathy Lawi, CEO of EmotionAid©. “This grant will help us reach them early, when practical support can keep distress from deepening. We are grateful to the Genesis Prize Foundation and Jewish Funders Network for selecting EmotionAid©, to the Gerald Ronson Family Foundation for matching the grant, and to Teva’s Mental Health Practitioners Initiative for joining this important effort.”
