Detroit’s Jewish community pools resources, nets nearly $200,000 to aid victims within first week of tsunami disaster

January 10, 2005

Contact: Mark Davidoff, Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, 248-203-1451.

Bloomfield Hills, MI— The Detroit Jewish community, under the auspices of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and The Jewish Fund, has quickly and generously responded to the tsunami disaster that swept nine countries from Thailand to Somalia on December 26. With 150,000 fatalities and the death toll still climbing, with millions left homeless and vulnerable to starvation and disease, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and The Jewish Fund have joined forces to launch an aid drive in collaboration with the national effort of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) – a partner agency in delivering aid overseas. To date, through individual donations, distributions from Federation’s Endowment Fund, and special emergency allocations, the total tsunami relief effort of Detroit’s Jewish community through Federation and The Jewish Fund stands at approximately $200,000.

“Tikkun olam – repairing the world — is a critical part of Federation’s mission, and knows no ethnic or geographic boundaries,” stated Peter Alter, president of Federation. “The Detroit Jewish community has a remarkable spirit of generosity and outstanding record of response in times of disaster.”

“The Jewish Fund – a legacy of Sinai Hospital – was established expressly for the purposes of saving lives,” stated David K. Page, chair of The Jewish Fund. “We are proud to be a vehicle in our community to provide emergency relief at this time. As Americans and Jews, we feel strongly that it is our obligation to make every effort to help those whose lives have forever been changed by this disaster.”

Gifts directed to Federation and earmarked for the Tsunami Relief Fund will be funneled through JDC. To date, JDC has raised over $2 million across the nation with 100% of the contributions being forwarded to agencies on the ground in South Asia.

In the short-term, JDC funds are providing emergency supplies, including food, water, clothing, bedding, temporary shelters, medical supplies and medicine. These are being distributed in partnership with the International Rescue Committee in Indonesia, Chabad in Thailand, and the Disaster Mitigation Institution in India.

In the long-term, JDC funds also will be used to rebuild hospitals and medical clinics, orphanages, schools and other institutions key to the affected nation’s infrastructures.

Individuals wishing to make donations to help the victims can contribute online at www.thisisfederation.org/__, by calling 248-205-2550, or by sending checks payable to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and mailed to Tsunami Victims Relief, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, P.O. Box 2030, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-2030.

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