Venezuela’s Jewish community launches crowdfunding campaign for relief, recovery from quake

Venezuela’s Jewish community launches a $2 million appeal for emergency relief and long-term recovery support following last week’s devastating double earthquake.

The appeal says the disaster has displaced hundreds of families, compounding years of economic hardship for a population already struggling with limited resources.

Within hours of the catastrophic event, the country’s Vaad Hakehilot (Communities’ Committee) mobilized, transforming communal facilities into emergency shelters. Over 400 community members are living in these shelters, while an estimated 200 more have sought refuge with relatives.

“We are a small and aging community that has endured years of severe economic hardship, leaving limited resources to respond to a disaster of this magnitude,” says the appeal.

The money raised will be used to meet both immediate and longer-term needs. The former include kosher food, bottled water, medical supplies, hygiene kits and bedding for those in communal shelters. Among the latter are temporary rental assistance, emergency grants for home repairs, and educational support, including tuition and school meals for affected children. Part of the sum will be used to buy and install backup power infrastructure to ensure that essential communal institutions remain operational during future emergencies.

All donations are being channeled through the GoFundMe website to Friends of Yajad-Venezuela, a US-registered charity. The funds will be used exclusively for relief, humanitarian aid and recovery efforts. The Vaad Hakehilot has committed to overseeing the transparent allocation of these resources based on documented needs and providing regular progress updates to donors.

Those interested in discussing major contributions or seeking detailed briefings on the community’s status are invited to contact the Vaad Hakehilot directly.