Why, As Jews, We Respond to an Earthquake in Venezuela

It would be a logical conclusion to come to.

On Wednesday night, there were two devastating back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela.

There remains a significant Jewish community in Venezuela, including thousands in Caracas.

On Thursday, World Jewish Relief opened an appeal and began implementing disaster response in Venezuela.

So one might reasonably conclude that, when there’s a crisis and Jews are there, we respond.

But that wouldn’t explain why our Director of Humanitarian Programs was in eastern Ethiopia distributing drought relief with our partners two months ago, why he was in Mozambique last month as we responded to a cholera outbreak, or why he is in Bangladesh now, where we provide support to Rohingya refugees.

Because when there are people in crisis—whether they are living through missile attacks, struggling to recover from natural disasters, or whose communities are facing an epidemic—we don’t ask whether there are Jews there.

What matters most is that there are Jews here.

Here, in communities around the world, are Jews who believe that our responsibility extends beyond ourselves. Jews who understand that the commandment to care for the stranger is not conditional. Jews who recognize that every person is created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God. Jews who believe that our values compel us not only to care for our own, but to extend our hands to all those in need.

The work of World Jewish Relief is driven by a steadfast belief that our Jewish values, and indeed our Jewish responsibility, are to lift up all those facing crisis, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, with an equal sense of urgency.

And we do so not to demonstrate who we are as Jews, but simply because that’s who we are as Jews.

In Venezuela, World Jewish Relief is only one of a number of organizations providing a Jewish response. We’re pleased to be in good company.

If you are seeking to make an impact for those affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela, World Jewish Relief would welcome the opportunity to thoughtfully, lovingly, and responsibly steward your generosity to achieve the greatest possible impact. To learn more or contribute, please visit usa.worldjewishrelief.org.