Over 50 Jewish communities donated to earthquake relief efforts

WASHINGTON – Over 50 Jewish communities have so far donated to the Jewish Federations of North America’s donation fund, aiming to provide aid to the victims of the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria, says Rebecca Caspi, Director General of Jewish Federations of North America’s Israel Office & SVP of its Israel and Overseas Department.

“When we woke up in Israel to the terrible news of the earthquakes we immediately contacted the Jewish Agency and JDC and I started reaching out to say that this is a big one,” she said. “We don't respond to everything. This is a big one, and we know people will want to respond. And because of how we're positioned, our office in Israel was able to begin most of that work, so by the time people were starting to wake up on the East Coast in the United States, we had everything ready to go,” Caspi said.

“We opened that mailbox at about noon yesterday, and got the word out immediately. Today we already had gifts from people in more than 50 communities,” she continued.

Immediate response from Jewish humanitarian aid organizations

Caspi went on to say that JDC is on the ground and assessing the need right now. “Our mission is to make sure that they're finding the highest priority unmet needs, which is going to focus on keeping people alive and fed and warm.”

Jewish Federations of North America Board Chair Julie Platt told the Jerusalem Post that “it is the core funds that Jewish Federations raise in times of calm that enable us to respond rapidly and effectively in times of crisis and to support the life-giving work of our partner agencies.”

“Our work is powered by tens of thousands of generous individuals in hundreds of communities around the US and Canada whose giving is making a difference in the lives of others,” said Platt. “This collective impact is what powers our system, saves lives and builds flourishing Jewish communities. We know that the needs on the ground are overwhelming, and we remain committed to mobilizing our system to raise critical funds so that we can provide urgent assistance to the survivors of these devastating earthquakes.”

Jewish Federations had responded to global crises in the past, including in the aftermath of California wildfires, a tsunami in Asia, and hurricanes and flooding in the Gulf of Mexico.