The Jewish Federation movement is working closely with our overseas partners to help victims of the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Since the Haiti disaster in January, Jewish Federations have raised $5.1 million, while also raising more than $42,000 for the more recent Chilean disaster.

The Jewish Federations of North America and many individual Federations are sending donations directly to our overseas partners, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Federations are also sending funds to organizations such as the American Jewish World Service and IsraAID.

In a recent teleconference series about the Federation response in Haiti, representatives of JDC, IsraAID, American Jewish World Service and ORT detailed their activities to date. Staff from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago’s Jewish Child and Family Services and the Jewish Federation of Greater Miami also discussed their work with Haitians locally. Click here to listen to a recording of the first call and here to listen to the second call.

Reports about the Jewish community in Chile have been encouraging. Even after today’s aftershocks, we have heard of no fatalities or major injuries in  the Jewish community. However, it appears that some synagogues have been damaged. The Jewish community formed the Community Committee for the National Emergency to coordinate relief activities. The committee has requested the help of an Israeli medical team, but said other volunteers, while appreciated, were not necessary.

Please visit this Chile Relief page and this Haiti Relief page for more information about the Federation response to these disasters. For more details, please contact The Jewish Federations of North America’s Director of Communications, Joe Berkofsky.