Community gives aid for disaster relief

PETER KOHN

WITH the region reeling from the aftermath of earthquakes in Indonesia, quakes and tsunamis in Samoa, and a typhoon in the Philippines, Jewish Aid Australia (JAA) is urging its supporters to help with emergency efforts.

JAA president Ric Benjamin told The AJN the Jewish emergency relief organisation is directing its supporters to donate to ShelterBox Australia, a local organisation that sends shelter packs to disaster-stricken areas.

ShelterBox Australia is an initiative of Rotary and is affiliated with the global ShelterBox program, based in the United Kingdom.

A shelter pack, which consists of a rugged tent and blankets for up to 10 people, costs about $1200 to buy.

“They’re already distributing in Samoa and beginning to distribute in Indonesia,” Benjamin said.

Rather than running a community appeal, JAA has been in contact with Jewish community organisations, including the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, as well as smaller Jewish organisations.

The message is to ask constituents to contribute directly to ShelterBox, and the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Victoria and the Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ) have already responded to the alert and notified their email lists, Benjamin said.

UPJ executive director Steve Denenberg told The AJN his organisation was “working with Jewish Aid Australia and Mazon, as well as seeking to combine with the wonderful efforts of the Joint Distribution Committee, which has already pledged significant financial resources to help provide aid and assistance in the rebuilding process”.

“On a practical level, we know that many of our congregations will want to respond and help with the aid effort. We believe that a coordinated Jewish response will be of most benefit to those who have suffered such losses and that this is the best way to show that we not only care for our own, but that we believe it is our sacred obligation to reach out and help people in times of need.”

The executive director of Jewish National Fund (JNF) Victoria, Joe Krycer, said JNF was closely monitoring the situation in Indonesia and Samoa and, as an environmental organisation, would assess the need for aiding restoration efforts after primary rescue and relief work had been completed.

“When it comes to a time in the not-too-distant future when there may be work that calls for expertise in environmental rehabilitation, we’re always available to help out anywhere, and wherever we are asked,” he said, adding that aid could come at state and federal levels in Australia, and through Keren Kayemet l’Yisrael in Jerusalem.

Donations can be made online at www.shelterboxaustralia.com.au or through the JAA at www.jewishaid.org.au.