Princeton NJ Non-Profit Press Releases

UJFPMB Helps Victims of Chile Earthquake

UNITED JEWISH FEDERATION OF PRINCETON MERCER BUCKS is partnering with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to provide aid and relief to victims of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

The earthquake struck about 200 miles (325 kilometers) south of the capital city of Santiago, killing at least 700 people and displacing or injuring some two million others. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has opened the door to international aid, stating that the country faces "a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort to recover." 

Chile is home to a vibrant and active Jewish community of approximately 16,000, of whom 90 percent are concentrated in Santiago. Based on information we have received from our partner, JDC, as well as from ORT-Chile and the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, Jewish communal institutions have been spared from major earthquake damage due to Santiago's distance from the earthquake epicenter. However, there are reports of damage to two synagogues close to the epicenter and we are awaiting further details. We are tracking the situation through our relationship with organizations on the ground, particularly JDC, which is working with the umbrella body of Chilean Jewry, La Comunidad Judía de Chile.

United Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks and the 157 Jewish Federations across North America have previously partnered with JDC in responding to international natural disasters such as the Southeast Asian tsunami and the recent earthquake in Haiti.  The Jewish Federations will again be working with its fellow members of The Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief, which brings together the experience, expertise, and additional resources of North American Jewish organizations to assist victims of natural or man-made disasters on a non-sectarian basis.

Managed by JDC, the coalition consists of organizations such as the Union for Reform Judaism, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, World ORT, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, American Jewish World Service and American Jewish Committee, to name a few. The coalition’s work maximizes the resources, coordinates the activities of its member agencies, informs the public about the disaster situation and the Jewish response, and demonstrates the long tradition of Jewish humanitarianism during times of crisis. 

“We have witnessed the large-scale disaster relief efforts that the JDC has performed in the past and most recently in Haiti. We have opened an emergency mailbox to collect donations. All funds we receive will be directed to the JDC to help the victims. People who are interested can learn more at www.ujfpmb.org or by calling our offices at 609-219-0555,” said Andrew Frank, Executive Director of United Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks.

Press contact:
Ophir Lehavy Busel
Director of Marketing and Communications
United Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks
4 Princess Road, Suite 206
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Phone: 609-219-0555, Fax: 609-219-9040
Visit us at: www.ujfpmb.org