Contact B'nai B'rith

1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N Washington, D.C. 20036

info@bnaibrith.org

202-857-6600

Disaster Relief

Since 1865, B’nai B’rith has responded with millions of dollars of needed assistance to help the victims of hundreds of disasters – both natural and man-made – around the world.

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Helping those in need after a disaster is a core commitment that has guided B’nai B’rith since 1865. When floods, wild fires, earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes devastate a community, B’nai B’rith volunteers, members and supporters are ready to help. Spanning three separate centuries, B’nai B’rith has responded with millions of dollars of needed assistance to help the victims of hundreds of disasters around the world.
 
After most disasters we assist with, whether it’s in volunteer rebuilding people-power, donated funds, or both, B’nai B’rith utilizes its contacts in the impacted area, in concert with other agencies, to provide emergency support relief efforts and long-term rebuilding plans.

​The Disaster Relief Fund is always open.


Donors can also call 800-573-9057 to make a credit card contribution over the phone or send a check payable to the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund to the following address:

B’nai B’rith International
Disaster Relief Fund
1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N
Washington, DC  20036


Your Donations at Work

Funds raised by the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund have supported emergency response teams and projects that are assisting with recovery and rebuilding.

Current Disaster Relief Efforts

Help Those Impacted by Hurricane Ida

B’nai B’rith International is opening its Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund to support those affected by Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on August 29th.

B’nai B’rith will be allocating $5,000 to support emergency relief efforts, as well as accepting donations. We will match donations up to $15,000.

The Category 4 storm, with high-speed winds and rising sea levels, caused significant flooding and widespread power outages. As the storm continues to move inland, it threatens to bring more flooding in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

Hurricane Ida struck the Gulf Coast on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which resulted in more than 1,800 deaths and over $100 billion in damages in the region. Following Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, B’nai B’rith distributed $1.1 million in funds that supported an emergency response and rebuilding and recovery efforts.

​Click below to help us help those affected by Hurricane Ida.

Donors can also call 800-573-9057 to make a credit card contribution over the phone or send a check payable to the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund to the following address:

B’nai B’rith International
Disaster Relief Fund
1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N
Washington, D.C. 20036

Aid Those Affected by the Devastating Earthquake in Haiti

B’nai B’rith International has opened its Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund to assist those affected by the cataclysmic earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14th, 2021.

B’nai B’rith will match donations made to ensure that each dollar raised has the most impact.

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake has left more than 1,400 dead and 6,000 injured. Thousands more have lost their homes, and Tropical Storm Grace brought further destruction to the country and its essential infrastructure.

B’nai B’rith also raised funds to assist Haiti following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010. Our efforts then helped support recovery and rebuilding, and an emergency response team from IsraAID (The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid), which assisted in rescue efforts and administered scholarships to Haitian students.

​Click below to donate to our Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund and help victims of the August earthquake in Haiti. 

Donors can also call 800-573-9057 to make a credit card contribution over the phone or send a check payable to the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund to the following address:

B’nai B’rith International
Disaster Relief Fund
1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N
Washington, D.C. 20036

Aid Those Devastated by the Unprecedented Winter Storm in Texas

Earlier this year, disaster struck the state of Texas when an unprecedented winter storm hit.

Millions of Texans found themselves in frigid weather conditions without electricity, clean water or gas, with vulnerable low-income communities facing a particularly perilous situation.
With a state of disaster declared in 77 counties, efforts are underway to restore power, but thousands are still struggling without access to these essential utilities.

B’nai B’rith International has opened its Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund to assist those impacted by the Texas winter storm crisis and will match donations up to $10,000.

B’nai B’rith has already arranged meal deliveries for seniors in need, and is currently working with local community agencies and volunteers on the ground to assess the situation and determine needs, so the funds raised have the greatest impact.

As a longstanding supporter of B’nai B’rith’s emergency relief efforts, you know that helping those in need is a core of the mission of B’nai B’rith International. We hope that you will partner with us once again to help Texas and her residents when they need it most.

Together, we can continue to ensure that wherever there is a need, there is B’nai B’rith. ​

Click below to donate to the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund and help with our Texas winter storm response.
Donors can also call 800-573-9057 to make a credit card contribution over the phone or send a check payable to the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund to the following address:

B’nai B’rith International
Disaster Relief Fund
1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N
Washington, D.C. 20036

 

 


Our Disaster Relief Efforts 2020
By early Spring, B’nai B’rith shifted its disaster relief efforts to focus on fighting the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic. As the coronavirus spread around the world, we worked with our local partners across the globe – in the United States, Latin America and Europe – to respond to whatever their communities needed most, whether that was medical supplies, foodstuffs or other necessities.

One year later, our response to the coronavirus crisis is still evolving. The B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Committee is constantly evaluating our continued response to the pandemic to make sure that we reach people who need our help the most.

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B’nai B’rith International’s Center for Senior Services (CSS) now incorporates a Day of Service component into Managers and Service Coordinators annual meetings. Inspired by its volunteer activity in Puerto Rico in 2019, this Day of Service program teams up with our Disaster and Emergency Relief Committee to take on projects that will benefit the local community.

“Uniting the work of our Center for Senior Services with our disaster relief efforts strengthens the goals and the mission of B’nai B’rith International: to improve the quality of life for people around the globe,” said Janel Doughten, associate director, Center for Senior Services.


LISTEN: B’nai B’rith’s Disaster Relief Efforts Amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic

Vice President of Programming Rhonda Love provides updates on B’nai B’rith’s emergency relief efforts amidst the coronavirus pandemic, West Coast wildfires and Gulf Coast hurricanes. Love speaks with CEO Dan Mariaschin about how B’nai B’rith is meeting the needs of disaster victims around the world and our ongoing commitment to public service.



Prior Disaster Relief Efforts
Read about some of our past disaster relief appeals below.
Supporting Communities Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19)

​B’nai B’rith launched a global coronavirus emergency fund with a $10,000 allocation from its existing Disaster Relief Fund, to be used in conjunction with a new emergency campaign. There are more than 100 million cases of COVID-19 around the world at this time, and it continues to spread.

The funds we raised went to international assistance to help struggling communities around the world. As an international organization, we worked with our members and supporters across the globe to determine the most urgent needs and best meet them.

Ready to Help: The Pittsburgh Healing Fund

In December 2019, B’nai B’rith Senior Vice President and Disaster and Emergency Relief Committee Chair Rebecca Saltzman travelled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to meet with staff from the Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh (JFCS) and presented a check for $25,600 to aid mental health programming for survivors of the horrific attack on Oct. 27, 2018, at the Tree of Life Synagogue that left 11 worshippers dead and wounded many more. Funds were also used to assist first responders and support a community memorial.

Read Saltzman’s account of B’nai B’rith’s disaster relief efforts in the wake of the mass shootings and her involvement meeting first responders and community service personnel in Pittsburgh.

New York: Clean-Up of a Home Destroyed by Hurricane Sandy

​In 2018, B’nai B’rith young leaders from New York committed a full day to helping rebuild a home destroyed in Hurricane Sandy in Brooklyn.

​The home had been destroyed 6 years ago and was still unlivable! Young leaders Laura Hemlock, Randi Sabbagh and Jared Hakimi teamed up with the non-profit SBP: Diasaster Resilience & Recovery. The group accomplished a lot in just one short day.

 

​California Wildfires and the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii

The Disaster Relief campaign assisted in two domestic disasters. It provided assistance to the Idyllwild Help Center in Idyllwild, California in response to the wildfires that have devastated the community, and the Ahava ‘Aina Synagogue in Hawaii whose members have been dealing with the impact from the eruption of the Kilauea Volcano.
 
We provided an allocation to assist with the costs of food, utility bills and medical supplies for the Idyllwild Help Center. Many of the victims who needed assistance are disabled, seniors on fixed incomes and single mothers who work in the tourist industry which was decimated as a result of the fires.

Wildfires in Greece

B’nai B’rith International sent aid to Greece as raging wildfires have killed at least 80 and injured more than 180. Many people are still missing. The wildfires, outside of Athens, are causing massive destruction. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed and the death toll is expected to rise.

B’nai B’rith works very closely with two Greek-American organizations: The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA) and American Hellenic Institute (AHI). Over the last several years B’nai B’rith, along with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Order of AHEPA and AHI, have held trilateral missions to Israel, Greece and Cyprus.

Flooding and Heat Wave in Japan

B’nai B’rith International deployed its Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims of the worst flooding to engulf Japan in decades. At least 210 are confirmed dead, with scores still missing. Compounding the disaster was a heat wave that has gripped the same region impacted by the floods. The floods and subsequent landslides meant tens of thousands were stranded in their homes without power.
 
We supported humanitarian relief efforts in Japan in 2011 after the ruinous earthquake and tsunami, and again in 2016 after another catastrophic earthquake.  For this new catastrophe, the B’nai B’rith Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund has committed to supporting the efforts of IsraAID. This allocation funded an emergency response team on the ground. B’nai B’rith is proud to be one of the founders of IsraAID, which helps after disasters around the globe. 

Helping Victims of Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano

B’nai B’rith International tapped its Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims of Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano that decimated the village of El Rodeo. A mix of lava, volcanic gas, rock and ash sped down the mountain more than a week ago at hundreds of miles an hour, trapping residents in cars at they tried to flee and in homes as they sought shelter.
 
To date, the June 3 eruption has killed at least 110 people and some 200 are missing. Recovery operations are continuing.
 
The B’nai B’rith Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund is committed to supporting the efforts of IsraAID. This donation will fund an emergency response team on the ground that is bringing its expertise in emergency assistance and providing a comprehensive needs-assessment of the impact on the population. B’nai B’rith is proud to be one of the founders of IsraAID. B’nai B’rith has also been in touch with the local Jewish community to find out more about its involvement assisting those in need.

​Disaster Report 2017

The B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund provided funds for the needs of Syrian refugees seeking medical attention in Israel and for the delivery of infant formula to vulnerable Syrian children. In the U.S., we responded to the devastating floods in Missouri via a social media campaign, including to the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas. And that’s not all. Read the report to find out more about our efforts.
Helping Texas Recover From Devastating Hurricane Harvey

B’nai B’rith International opened its Disaster Relief Fund to provide aid to the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

On Aug. 25, 2017 the Category 4 storm made landfall in Texas, and, according to CNN, dumped more than 11 trillion gallons of water on the state.
 
The hurricane, which was later downgraded to a tropical storm, caused catastrophic flooding and more than 300,000 people were without power. The storm killed at least five people and destroyed thousands of homes, schools and businesses.

B’nai B’rith and AEPi Provide Disaster Relief in Houston

Members from our partner, fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), fanned out across Houston to help with clean-up and rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which struck Aug. 25, 2017 as a Category 4 storm. Property damage was extensive, with thousands of homes, schools and businesses damaged or destroyed. Read below to see what AEPi had to say about the clean-up process at the time of the hurricane:

“This past weekend, more than 30 brothers from Texas AEPi chapters travelled to Houston with one thing in mind: Tikkun Olam.

Eager to help families return to their daily lives, brothers logged 370 community service hours clearing debris, taking down rotted drywall and removing other hazardous material from two suburban Houston homes.

“We didn’t come down to Houston with vacation in mind. We came down here with Tikkun Olam in mind. That’s why we’re here. I did something; I helped repair the world,” said Amir Kessler (North Texas, 2017).

Many of the brothers who volunteered are from Houston and have family living in affected areas. Volunteers were hosted by ChristChurch, a local Presbyterian church, that served as a volunteer base.

This relief effort was organized by AEPi, B’nai B’rith International and NECHAMA, a Jewish disaster relief organization. B’nai B’rith is one of ten beneficiaries supported by AEPi’s Official Philanthropy Program, which is committed to Jewish causes and Tikkun Olam.”

You can watch a video about these relief efforts here.

Provide Support to Japan

​The fund also supported communities in Japan by providing medical supplies and other basic necessities, after it suffered through two earthquakes and aftershocks on April 14 and 16. More than 40 were killed and more than 1,000 injured. That fund originally opened in March 2011 after an 8.9 earthquake and tsunami devastated parts of Japan.

Aiding in Central Texas’ Recovery from Catastrophic Floods

​B’nai B’rith International volunteers cleaned up trash, unloaded supplies and offered emotional support to many homeowners who lost everything in Central Texas from the 2015 floods. We used our network to help the emergency, recovery and long-term rebuilding efforts. Read more from B’nai B’rith Senior Vice President Charles O. Kaufman, who sent updates on the work the organization did on the ground.

 

​B’nai B’rith Provides Disaster Relief Fund to Aid Nepal Earthquake Victims

B’nai B’rith International opened its Disaster Relief Fund to aid the victims of the devastating earthquake in Nepal that occurred on April 25, 2015. The earthquake struck some 50 miles northwest of Katmandu with a 7.8 magnitude and multiple violent aftershocks. The death toll has climbed to 3,500 and is predicted to grow even higher. 

B’nai B’rith International Provides Funds to Help Combat Ebola

B’nai B’rith International allocated funds from its Disaster Relief program to help IsraAID establish care and education projects in Africa to treat Ebola patients and curtail the spread of the deadly virus. B’nai B’rith is a founding partner of IsraAID, the Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid.


Origins of B’nai B’rith Humanitarian Aid
The B’nai B’rith commitment to aid humankind grew out of its founders’ decision to create an insurance policy to award members’ widows $30 toward funeral expenses, a stipend of one dollar a week for the rest of their lives, a stipend for each child, and the assurance a male child would be taught a trade.

Victims of a Baltimore flood in the mid-1800s were the first recipients of B’nai B’rith disaster relief funds, and the first international assistance project provided funds to Sir Moses Montefiore’s appeal in 1865 to assist victims of a cholera epidemic in what was then Palestine. B’nai B’rith later raised and distributed funds to those affected by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Galveston, Texas, flood of 1900, and the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.

Since those beginnings, when natural and manmade disasters strike in the United States or around the globe—or when communities are in need—B’nai B’rith helps from the outset and remains to rebuild to the end.


Contact Us
For more information, please call 212-490-3290 or email cca@bnaibrith.org