Jewish Community to Aid Survivors of Chilean Earthquake

  Our hearts go out to the people of Chile in the wake of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on Saturday.  Therefore, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the human relations, public policy, social advocacy agency of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey announced that it will collect funds for relief efforts. 

     As was done recently in Haiti, donations will be sent to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the overseas arm of the organized North American Jewish community and an overseas partner of the Jewish Federation. We are receiving up-to-the-minute reports from JDC's Latin America team on the ground; they are conducting a full and rapid assessment of the situation by working closely with Chile's Jewish community to determine critical next steps based on immediate needs of the hardest-hit areas, which also include the impact of the earthquake on the Jewish community.  

   Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews make up Chile's diverse Jewish community. Most live in Santiago, with Jewish families also living in affected cities like Conception and Valpariso-Vina. The community supports a JCC, two Jewish day schools, and synagogues; we learned that Purim festivities were cancelled as a result of the disaster.

   Donations can be made online at www.jewishsouthjersey.org or by check, made payable to The Jewish Community Relations Council. Please indicate Chilean Earthquake Relief in the memo section and mail to: Jewish Community Relations Council, 1301 Springdale Rd., Suite 200, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003. Attn: Chilean Earthquake Relief   

JDC's efforts in Chile are receiving worldwide attention:    

CNN:  <http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/?hpt=T1>

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/?hpt=T1 

CHABAD:

http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/1147275/jewish/Shabbat-Earthq uake-Devastates-Chile.htm

<http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/1147275/jewish/Shabbat-Earth quake-Devastates-Chile.htm> 

VOZIZNEIAS: (largest english-language Haredi website):

http://www.vosizneias.com/50312/2010/02/28/santiago-chabad-celberates-pu rim-as-devastating-chile-earthquake-spares-pacific-jewish-communities/

<http://www.vosizneias.com/50312/2010/02/28/santiago-chabad-celberates-purim-as-devastating-chile-earthquake-spares-pacific-jewish-communities/>

Thank you for your support.