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January 7, 2005
Helping relief efforts in Asia
B.C. Jewish community has plenty of options where to send donations.
BAILA LAZARUS
Rescue teams in Thailand that have been searching for missing Israelis
will be returning to Israel on Tuesday, but Israel's relief efforts
are still being felt in affected areas as doctors, field hospitals,
food and medical supplies make their ways to the countries hardest
hit.
In Thailand, three Chabad Houses, staffed by six full-time rabbis
and 12 rabbinical trainees, were immediately converted into crisis
centres where dazed survivors received medical help, counselling,
free meals, funds for new clothing and access to free phones and
the Internet.
Israel, which sent a medical team to the area within 48 hours of
the disaster, was one of the first countries to react. Search and
rescue teams followed and they were soon sought after by other field
workers for their expertise.
"The Israeli delegation [in southeast Asia] has become famous,"
Meshi-Zahav of Zaka Rescue and Recovery told Yediot Acharonot.
"All the other countries are looking for us, a small country
with our relatively small delegation, to get advice."
The Israeli delegation, together with the Zaka volunteers, managed
to do what no other country was doing. "We're the only national
delegation here among the bodies," Meshi-Zahav said. "No
other country has shown such concern for its citizens."
In what was soon seen as an ironic and tragic twist in this catastrophe,
Sri Lanka and India refused Israel's offer of personnel, claiming
they had no diplomatic ties with Israel, but accepted supplies that
included medicine and antibiotics.
The Vatican newspaper, misinterpreting the situation, denounced
what it called a decision by the Israel Defence Forces to deny emergency
help to disaster victims in Sri Lanka. Calling for "a radical
and dramatic change of perspective" among people "too
often preoccupied with making war," L'Osservatore Romano
singled out Israeli military leaders for declining a request for
emergency medical help.
Contrary to the Vatican report, an Israeli plane carrying 80 tons
of food and medical supplies worth $100,000 was set to depart for
Sri Lanka Wednesday morning, Dec. 29. But, at the request of the
Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, a team of some 150 Israeli medical
and security personnel aborted their planned trip to the island
nation.
While hundreds of international organizations all the way down to
five-year-old individuals have taken up the campaign to collect
funds for the stricken area, those in British Columbia wishing to
donate have several options with Jewish connections:
• The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver will be
accepting contributions in the form of cheques, cash or by credit
card. Donations can be made online at www.jccgv.com
or by calling 604-257-5111. Funds can be directed to a general relief
fund, Chabad of Asia, the United Way South Asia Response Fund or
the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
• Rachel Greenfeld, co-owner of Campoverde social club, said
the club is having a fund-raising gala and silent auction Jan. 20.
Campoverde is working with the Squamish and North Vancouver city
councils to adopt a village. The plan is to help a local village
rebuild a sustainable foundation. For more information, visit www.campoverde.ca
or e-mail [email protected].
• United Israel Appeal Canada is accepting donations to UIA
Canada at 4600 Bathurst St., 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ont., M2R 3V2,
or 416-636-7655. All funds will be directed to the American Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee.
• B'nai B'rith International has already allocated allocated
$5,000 from its general disaster relief fund to help humanitarian
efforts in the region and is accepting donations for more help.
Donations can be made online at www70.ssldomain.com/bbitest
/giving/fund/disaster_relief/form.cfm or by mail. Contributions
should be made payable to the B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund
and sent to 2020 K Street, NW, 7th Floor, Washington, D.C., 20006.
• Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, is accepting donations
to bolster the efforts of Santa Monica-based International Medical
Corps (IMC), a global aid group. The funds will be used to assist
IMC in its efforts to bring food and potable water to survivors.
Donations can be made online at www.mazon.org
or sent to Mazon at 1990 S. Bundy Dr., Ste. 260, Los Angeles, CA,
90025, c/o the Southeast Asian Recovery Project.
• To help Chabad of Thailand directly, send donations to 96
Thanon Rambuttri, Bangkok, Thailand, 10200, or donate online at
www.chabadthailand.com.
With files from the Jerusalem Post, Zaka Israel and Chabad
of Thailand.
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