JERUSALEM (JTA) — Academic scholarships funded by the Jewish Federations of North America and individual Jewish federations were awarded to 1,300 students who live in communities near the border with Gaza.

The Jewish Agency for Israel presented the scholarships, which came from $2 million in donations, on Monday in Sderot.

The students, who live in Sderot and other southern Israeli communities that came under attack during last summer’s conflict with Gaza, attend academic institutions in southern Israel. Each student will receive approximately $1,375.

“This is a significant contribution to the strength of Israeli communities in southern Israel, the growth of which is the most Zionist response to Hamas terror,” Rany Trainin, deputy chairman of the executive of The Jewish Agency, said in a statement.