A Small Country with a Big Heart

We Jews are among people around the world who have expressed compassion and given aid to the people of Haiti following their devastating earthquake. However, none have acted as quickly and effectively as Israel. Despite a myriad of challenges at home, Israel quickly put together a mobile field hospital staffed by 40 physician volunteers and stocked with necessary equipment and essential medications, including infant incubators for a neonatal unit and orthopedic devices. Although the independent nation of Haiti has never been home to a significant Jewish population, Israel has long remembered that the Haitian delegation to the United Nations voted to establish the Jewish state back in 1948.

Funding for this humanitarian mission has come in part from the American Joint Distribution Committee or the JDC. It works in conjunction with the medical corps of the Israel Defense Forces, whose team of medical professionals has landed in Haiti to care for those affected by the quake. Those of you who contribute to the North Shore Jewish Federation can take pride in knowing that a small percentage of NSJF funds find their way each year to the JDC, the official humanitarian assistance organization for the Jewish community and the Jewish Federations of North America. JDC has purchased critical medical equipment for its field hospital.

There are many ways to give to the relief effort in Haiti. We urge you to send your donations to the Joint Distribution Committee or to the American Jewish World Services.

They are easily accessed through the web. The JDC has low overhead, it does remarkable work and is an efficient and effective resource for those in need and is universally praised. At a time when so much of the world’s press focuses on negative images of Israel, donating to the JDC serves the double mitzvah of helping those in need and improving the standing of Israel and the Jewish community, and increases the impact of collective Jewish funds.

The Jewish people have too frequently been the victims of history. And as a people, we have always been quick to respond to human tragedy. Please give as generously as you can.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Commitee http://www.jdc.org/donation/donate.aspx
American Jewish World Service http://www.ajws.org/haitiearthquake