Building Human Connection and Responding to Immediate Need

When the Fund for Humanitarian Relief in Gaza, held at the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Washington, committed a significant grant to Project Rozana, it was because donors recognized the power of responding to human needs as a way to reach across even the most painful divides. Through this donor-driven collaborative fund, supporters sought to invest in organizations that deliver immediate impact while also laying the groundwork for longer-term resilience as a foundational component of lasting peace in the region. In Gaza, where years of conflict have severely weakened medical infrastructure and limited access to essential care, Project Rozana has been a steady and trusted presence. Project Rozana exemplifies this dual mission—providing lifesaving care on the ground in Gaza while strengthening the human relationships between Israelis and Palestinians that make a future of peaceful coexistence a viable possibility.

One story from Gaza captures this impact vividly. At a Rozana-supported clinic in Khan Younis, a young mother arrived after weeks of untreated complications from a high-risk pregnancy. With local hospitals overwhelmed during the war and specialists in critically short supply, she had little hope of receiving proper care. Through Project Rozana’s Women4Women program, she was examined by a Palestinian midwife trained through Rozana’s clinical partnerships and connected, via teleconsultation, to an Israeli obstetric specialist. The coordinated care stabilized her condition and ensured a safe delivery. Today, both mother and baby are healthy—a powerful reminder that even in the harshest circumstances, collaboration saves lives.

The scale of Project Rozana’s work in Gaza is equally compelling. Rozana-supported clinics in Gaza have delivered tens of thousands of medical services, with a particular focus on maternal health, pediatric care, chronic disease management, and mental health support. To date, these services have reached more than 60,000 patients, many of them women and children displaced by ongoing violence. These clinics often operate in temporary or damaged facilities, yet they remain lifelines for communities with few alternatives.

Beyond direct patient care, Project Rozana plays a critical role in building and sustaining professional relationships between Israeli and Palestinian medical teams focused on Gaza’s needs. Over the past several years, hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals have participated in joint training, mentoring, and emergency-response programs coordinated by Rozana. These initiatives strengthen Gaza’s clinical capacity while fostering trust and professional respect. For many participants, these relationships continue long after formal trainings end, enabling rapid consultation and shared problem-solving during medical crises.

The stories emerging from Project Rozana’s clinics in Gaza remind us why this work matters. They are stories of newborns surviving against the odds, of patients receiving treatment with dignity, and of medical professionals refusing to let politics dictate compassion. The Fund for Humanitarian Relief in Gaza is proud to support Project Rozana through our donor-driven, collaborative effort. Their work in Gaza demonstrates that even amid devastation, investment in health, partnership, and humanity can create real, measurable hope—one clinic, one caregiver, and one patient at a time.

You can read Project Rozana’s  2025 Impact Report here.

Interested in opening a collaborative fund? Contact the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Washington.