Chile Earthquake Relief Effort

The Jewish Federation of the East Bay is partnering with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to provide aid and relief to victims of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday. Click here to make a donation for Chilean Earthquake Relief.

The earthquake struck about 200 miles (325 kilometers) south of Santiago, killing at least 700 people and displacing or injuring some two million others. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet opened the door to international aid yesterday, stating that the country faces "a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort to recover."

Chile is home to a vibrant and active Jewish community of approximately 16,000, of whom 90 percent are concentrated in the capital city of Santiago. Based on information we have received from our partner, JDC, as well as from ORT-Chile and the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, Jewish communal institutions have been spared from major earthquake damage due to Santiago's distance from the earthquake epicenter. However, there are reports of damage to two synagogues close to the epicenter and we are awaiting further details. We are tracking the situation through our relationship with organizations on the ground, particularly JDC, which is working with the umbrella body of Chilean Jewry, La Comunidad Judía de Chile.

The Jewish Federation of the East Bay has previously partnered with JDC in responding to international natural disasters such as the Southeast Asian tsunami and the recent earthquake in Haiti. Click here for information on Haiti relief efforts.

The Jewish Federation of the East Bay is working with The Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief as the Federation movement has in the wake of other international disaster relief efforts. The Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief brings together the experience, expertise, and additional resources of North American Jewish organizations to assist victims of natural or man-made disasters on a non-sectarian basis. The coalition, managed by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), consists of organizations such as the Jewish Federations of North America, the Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, World ORT, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, American Jewish World Service and American Jewish Committee, to name a few. The coalition’s work maximizes the resources, coordinates the activities of its member agencies, informs the public about the disaster situation and the Jewish response, and demonstrates the long tradition of Jewish humanitarianism during times of crisis.

The Jewish Federations of North America represents a continental Federation movement whose collective power makes an extraordinary impact on our global community and beyond.