Israel approves $1 million in aid for Houston Jews

The cabinet on Sunday approved Diaspora Minister Naftali Bennett’s proposed $1 million aid package for the Houston Jewish community to repair the damage caused by flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

“The Jewish state is measured by its response when our brothers around the world are in crisis,” Bennett, who heads the Jewish Home party, said in a statement following the vote.

In his proposal last week, Bennett said the aid would go to repairing Jewish schools, synagogues, and the Jewish Community Center, which do not receive US government aid.

“For years the Jews of Houston were there for us; now we can be there for them,” he said in a Facebook post.

The aid package will be transferred to Israel’s consulate in Houston to be distributed directly to the local Jewish community.

Harvey slammed into Texas on August 25 as a Category 4 hurricane, but brought the worst flooding to Houston and other areas as a tropical storm. The rain totaled nearly 52 inches (1.3 meters) in some spots, and the storm is blamed for at least 44 deaths.

An official from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston said the city’s Jewish community has seen “devastating” damage from Harvey and could take years to recover.

Seventy-one percent of the city’s Jewish population of 63,700 lives in areas that have experienced high flooding, Taryn Baranowski, the chief marketing officer for the federation, told JTA last week. That includes 12,000 Jewish seniors.

Three of the city’s five major synagogues have experienced major flooding, Baranowski said. The federation is communicating with the rest of Houston’s synagogues – the area is home to 42 congregations and communities — but is focusing on helping people impacted by Harvey.

The Evelyn Rubinstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, the city’s only JCC, was flooded with 10 feet of water, while Jewish schools were closed, with some experiencing major flooding.

To assist with the recovery efforts, Bennett has urged Israelis to contribute to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund set up by the Jewish Federations of North America, while a team from the IsraAID NGO arrived in Houston last week to provide assistance in the wake of the massive storm.

Damage estimates from Harvey range from around $50 billion to well over $100 billion, making it among the costliest-ever US storms.

JTA contributed to this report.