November 11, 2013, New York, NY -- In the early morning hours of November 9, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines. The equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, the storm displaced hundreds of thousands of people throughout the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the region's Pacific Islands. Initial accounts indicate that as many as 10,000 lives have been lost, and authorities and aid groups from all over the world, including North America and Israel, are struggling to deliver safe drinking water, food, and life-saving supplies to disaster zones.
The URJ General Disaster Relief Fund is collecting donations that will be distributed to aid groups working in affected areas.
When disaster strikes, Reform Jews trust the Union for Reform Judaism to distribute donated funds to agencies that are most effectively helping those in need. The Union retains no funds from relief efforts, with the exception of direct costs, such as credit card fees. Recent relief efforts have included hurricanes, storms and wildfires in North America, Haiti, Israel Emergency and Sudan. The URJ’s General Disaster Relief Fund enables the URJ to respond quickly and swiftly to all types of disasters as needed.
Please join us in praying for the healing of the survivors during this difficult time.