The Masorti synagogue in Concepcion, Chile was destroyed in the Feb. 27 earthquake that rocked Chile, according to an e-mail from Rabbi Tzvi Graetz, head of the Masorti (Conservative) Movement.
The walls were cracked and the roof caved in, Graetz noted, adding that a local rabbi described it “like the hurban habayit [destruction of the Temple].”
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, which immediately launched a drive to collect money for the overall earthquake relief effort, dispatched a representative in Chile to investigate.
Initial reports indicated little damage to the Jewish infrastructure in Chile and no harm suffered by Chile’s 16,000-member Jewish community. Chabad-Lubavitch, which has an outpost in Santiago, where most of the Jews live, reported minimal structural damage to its building.
A Davis Cup tennis match between Israel and Chile scheduled to start Friday, March 5, has been postponed one day due to transportation issues. Tennis officials said the stadium there was not damaged.
— jta & jpost.com