Jewish groups spring into action to aid Haiti
Thursday, January 14, 2010 | by jacob berkmanWith the death toll mounting in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the organized Jewish world has been lining up support for the rescue and relief effort in the region.
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and IsraAID, the Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid, quickly began funneling Jewish communal support into Haiti, and the American Jewish World Service immediately set up a Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.
“We are assessing where the gaps in service are and putting a process in place to help specific communities that might not be immediately served otherwise,” Aaron Dorfman, the AJWS vice president for programs, said a day after the Jan. 12 earthquake. “Because of the economic and political situation in Haiti, disasters like this have devastating consequences throughout the country. Our longstanding partnerships with grass-roots organizations in Haiti allow us to reach the poorest and most remote populations with the speed necessary to save lives.”
JDC sounded a similar message.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti in the wake of this overwhelming disaster, and as we did following Hurricane Gustav in 2008, JDC will leverage its strong partnerships in the region to respond quickly and compassionately to the needs of those affected,” said Steven Schwager, JDC’s chief executive officer. “Now and in the months to come, JDC will provide both immediate relief as well as long-term assistance to help the Haitian people rebuild their lives.”
In the wake of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, the federation movement raised more than $10 million for the JDC’s $18 million-plus relief effort. The federation movement spearheaded a nearly $30 million aid effort for victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast, creating a blueprint for collective disaster relief. The Jewish Federations of North America has opened its own disaster relief mailboxes when Jewish communities were affected in other disasters, such as fires that swept across Southern California.
“Our hearts go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy in a nation already suffering from so many challenges,” Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, said after the quake in Haiti.
“The massive scale of the earthquake will require an international support network,” said Dennis Glick, the president of B’nai B’rith International, which is funneling money to Haiti through IsraAID. “Our ongoing partnership with IsraAID means our help can go a lot further. We extend our deepest sympathies to the people of Haiti as they face the consequences of another natural disaster.”
IsraAID dispatched a 12-person search-and-rescue team to Haiti less than 24 hours after the earthquake. The coordinating body of Israeli and Jewish organizations, IsraAID also was considering sending a field hospital, including doctors and medical equipment, as well as humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, the list of Jewish nonprofits that have opened mailboxes to help raise money for the rescue and relief effort was growing quickly, and the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command was preparing to send a delegation that included engineering, medical, logistics and rescue experts.
Magen David Adom, an Israeli NGO, was set to send a delegation to Haiti in cooperation with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the International Red Cross, according to a release from the American Friends of MDA. Eli Bin, MDA’s director general, ordered all MDA department managers to assemble a team of specialists who will set up field clinics with local emergency teams and the Red Cross and help trace those who are missing in the catastrophe, the release said.
The earthquake was the strongest in Haiti in 200 years. The National Palace and United Nations peacekeeper headquarters were among the many buildings that suffered damage.
Amos Radyan, Israel’s ambassador to the Dominican Republic, said Jan. 13 that the embassy had not been able to reach Jewish families in Haiti due to downed telephone lines. Raydan also serves Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.
Relatives of Sharona Elsaieh, daughter of the late peace activist Abie Nathan, reported she was missing and turned to Israel’s Foreign Ministry for assistance. Two other Israelis, a woman and her 9-year-old son, also have been reported missing. Several other Israelis also live in Haiti, according to reports.
The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, issued a release Jan. 13 urging the Obama administration to quickly arrange for and grant temporary protective status to Haitians currently in the United States. TPS establishes a legislative basis for allowing a group of persons temporary refuge in the United States.
“In this tragedy, it is important that the wealthiest country in the Western hemisphere assists the poorest country with a comprehensive strategy,” said Gideon Aronoff, president and CEO of HIAS. “Many of the Haitians in the U.S. are unable to return to their homeland because of the infrastructure chaos there, yet by staying here they are able to provide important economic and social support for their family members in Haiti.”