Natalie Portman Joins Israeli Push to Aid Syrian Refugees
Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — We didn’t think it was humanly possible, but Natalie Portman has gone and inspired us yet again. This time, The Times of Israel reports, the actress, director, and adorable mom has donated money and clothing to Syrian refugees via Operation Human Warmth.
The initiative is the result of several Israeli organizations—the youth group Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed, the social and education organization Dror-Israel, and Israeli Flying Aid, a global humanitarian organization–coming together to collect winter supplies for those displaced by the civil war in Syria.
Portman, who who is currently in Israel working on her directorial debut, an adaptation of Amos Oz’s novel “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” learned of the project through Israeli friends.
“When I heard about Operation Human Warmth I felt deeply moved and compelled to get involved,” she said in a statement. “In the middle of a brutal winter, these children have no shelter and their lives are in serious jeopardy from the cold. I am proud to take part in an operation where Israeli youth of all backgrounds are taking action to help out those whom need it most.”
Portman is no stranger to the whole mitzvah thing. The Israeli-born do-gooder has served as an ambassador for the microfinance organization Finca, supported environmental causes, and encouraged teenage girls to pursue careers in science. Have we mentioned how much she inspires us?
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
