Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What do individual and organizational signatories believe?
A: Anyone who signs or endorses this open call agrees with the following statement: Jewish people support food aid for people in Gaza and an immediate end to the Israeli government’s food aid blockade. The signatories do not endorse one another, nor do organizational endorsers. This is an open call, not a coalition.
Q: Is this campaign still necessary now that a handful of aid trucks have gotten into Gaza?
A: Yes. The call is for an end to the Israeli government's food aid blockade, and for food aid for all people in Gaza. There remains widespread starvation in Gaza and the blockade is still being strictly enforced. News reports also indicate that the very limited food distribution sites that exist not only do not come close to meeting the need but are being used as sites of violence towards people trying to feed their families. As long as humanitarian aid continues to be intentionally withheld and blocked from reaching those who need it, this call is still necessary.
Q: How will this petition be used? And what will happen with the names of those who have signed?
A: The data collected by this effort may be used to advocate for food aid to be let into Gaza and for the immediate end to the Israeli government’s aid blockade. Your email address will only be used to contact you in direct relation to this campaign. You will not be added to the email list of any organization. The aggregate number of signers will be publicized, publicly available, and regularly updated, and will be lifted up in advocacy efforts (press outreach, meetings with elected officials, etc). There will likely be significant ad buy in public spaces across the United States. Certain signers (ie. who live in certain congressional districts) may also be invited to engage in advocacy. Advocacy may also include bringing the petition to Jewish institutions to ask them to sign on.
Q: What happens to my individual signature? Will it be public?
A: The total number of signatures will be made public. The names of signers will generally not be made public. The only names that will be posted publicly will be names of signers who are rabbis, other Jewish clergy, and other community leaders.
Q: How is this effort being funded?
A: So far, financial contributions from individual donors (mostly Jewish) who live in the United States are funding this effort. If you’d like to contribute to this effort, please contact us: contact@foodaidforgaza.org
Q: What is/who leads the Gaza Soup Kitchen?
A: The Gaza Soup Kitchen was created in 2024 and is led and operated in Gaza. The Gaza Soup Kitchen was founded by Hani Almadhoun (currently the Senior Director of Philanthropy at USA UNRWA) and his family and friends who live in the North of Gaza. As aid was blocked at the border and famine was taking hold, they decided to do something about it. The Gaza Soup Kitchen has a network of kitchens, providing daily hot meals and clean drinking water to those in need. Their work goes beyond food—they uplift, care, and stand in solidarity with every family they serve. You can learn more about the Gaza Soup Kitchen on NPR or on the Gaza Soup Kitchen website.
Q: Can people outside of the United States sign?
A: Yes Jewish community members can sign no matter where you live, please do.
Q. Are there resources to support outreach to my organization, congregation, or community?
A: Yes! Please check out this outreach toolkit - https://bit.ly/FoodAidCongregations
Q: Who is organizing this effort? Who is “behind” this?
A: This campaign solely represents the its individual signatories, joined by the organizations who have endorsed the open call. It does not belong to any organization; rather it is a statement by thousands of Jewish people joining together across many differences to support this important statement. Names and email address will only be used for contact in direct relation to this campaign and they will not be added to the email list of any organization. For transparency, we share that many Jewish communal leaders have contributed time and effort to organize this campaign, including a group of activists working to organize this effort including leaders from Rabbis for Ceasefire, IfNotNow, and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. However, this campaign is unbranded and unaffiliated, which means that by signing on, individuals and organizations are not stating alignment with nor endorsing any organization, co-signatories, nor anything else beyond the statement of this campaign: Jewish people support food aid for people in Gaza and an immediate end to the Israeli government’s food aid blockade.