Accepting Donations for Chile Earthquake Victims

Our hearts go out to the people of Chile in the wake of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on Saturday. In response, the Jewish Federation is partnering with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to collect funds for relief efforts.

JDC provides technical assistance to many Latin American countries including Chile. As they have done recently in Haiti, they will leverage strong partnerships in the region, including the local Chilean Jewish community, to provide a quick and effective response to the needs of those affected.

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 canceled as a result of the disaster.

We encourage you to make a targeted donation to JDC to support their relief efforts in Chile. Donate now.