B’nai B’rith International continues with our global disaster relief
work, a core effort we began in 1865. Though we often focus on natural
disasters, sometime, sadly we must turn our attention to man-made
issues.

In 2018 we opened a fund to help the Jewish community in
Pittsburgh deal with the aftermath of the anti-Semitic mass murders at
the Tree of Life Synagogue on Oct. 27. We are working with B’nai B’rith
leaders in Pittsburgh and the local community at large to determine the
best use of these funds. We hope this aid can help the people of
Pittsburgh, in some small measure, heal from this attack and serve as a
reminder to the broader community that acceptance and tolerance must
triumph over bias and fear. We also explored hate crimes in the wake of
the shooting. Visit our podcast on the topic here

In September, B’nai B’rith International opened its Disaster Relief Campaign to assist in two domestic natural disasters. The campaign provided assistance to the Idyllwild Help Center in Idyllwild, California in response to the wildfires that 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 are providing an allocation to assist with the costs of food, utility bills and medical supplies for the Idyllwild Help Center. Many of the victims needing assistance are disabled, seniors on fixed incomes and single mothers who work in the tourist industry, which has been decimated as a result of the fires. B’nai B’rith leader Eric Book presented a check from our Disaster Relief Fund  to the center in the fall. Volunteers from our partner organization, the Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi, from nearby AEPi chapters, provided assistance for fire abatement for the area around the center’s facility

In July, B’nai B’rith International worked to send aid to Greece as raging wildfires killed scores and destroyed property outside Athens. B’nai B’rith works very closely with two Greek-American organizations, The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA) and the American Hellenic Institute (AHI).  

Also in 2018, B’nai B’rith tapped its Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims of Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano that decimated the village of El Rodeo. In June, a deadly mix of lava, volcanic gas, rock and ash sped down the mountain at hundreds of miles an hour, trapping residents in cars at they tried to flee and in homes as they sought shelter.

In July, B’nai B’rith deployed our Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims of the worst flooding to hit Japan in decades. At least 210 died as a result of the disaster. Compounding the disaster was a heat wave gripping the same region impacted by the floods. The floods and subsequent landslides meant tens of thousands were stranded in their homes without power. We had supported humanitarian relief efforts in Japan in 2011 after the ruinous earthquake and tsunami, and again in 2016 after another catastrophic earthquake.  

In November 2018, a community service project to assist families still struggling after 2012’s Hurricane Sandy was held with volunteers coming from the Young Leadership Network in New York City.  We provided an allocation of funds to SBP, a not-for-profit organization that helps homeowners rebuild after disasters. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we partnered with this agency when it was called the St. Bernard Project.

B’nai B’rith created and has supported the B’nai B’rith International Communities in Crisis Program since March 2002. This project provides medicines to communities in Latin America. The Communities in Crisis Program is made possible with donated medicines provided by the Brother’s Brother Foundation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2018, we made a shipment of medical supplies valued at close to $300,000.  B’nai B’rith funded the cost of shipping and the logistics of the delivery.  

We continue to acknowledge our partners and friends at the AEPi fraternity for choosing to support B’nai B’rith with $100,000 over a five-year period. This help will go toward B’nai B’rith’s disaster relief efforts. Special philanthropy luncheons at the AEPi Convention held in August provided us the opportunity to present our charitable relief work and thank the chapters for their effort to raise these funds. We also saluted the dedicated team of AEPi volunteers for their hard work as volunteers during times of disaster.