tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466816018708164486.post-33986696622155327182007-08-27T11:23:00.000-08:002007-08-27T11:28:17.019-08:00<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_i5YIorPP2lY/RtMlmibrVfI/AAAAAAAAAGM/ut8bROJ3lHM/s1600-h/BOY+-+gettylive944607-PERU-QUAKE.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103464146749052402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_i5YIorPP2lY/RtMlmibrVfI/AAAAAAAAAGM/ut8bROJ3lHM/s200/BOY+-+gettylive944607-PERU-QUAKE.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><em>By Daniel Horowitz--</em></strong><br /><br />Shortly after a massive 8.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Peru on August 15, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto responded by establishing the Peru Earthquake Relief Fund. Proceeds will be distributed to victims - regardless of religion - by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). The JDC is working with other disaster relief agencies including IsraAid, which sent an Israeli medical team to Peru last week. So far, more than 500 people have been reported killed, close to 2,000 injured, and tens of thousands are homeless as a result of the quake.<br />The JDC has a century-old history of providing relief to those in need. It collected $19.6 million for the relief effort following the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004 and $800,000 for the Pakistani earthquake in 2005.<br />“Natural disasters are quite indiscriminate and, be it Jew or non-Jew, the amount of human loss in Peru today is so very sad,” said UJA Federation board chair David Engel. “We are fortunate to be the conduit for Toronto’s generous Jewish community, giving people the opportunity to reach out to the families of those killed, or to those who have been injured or displaced by this tragedy. This is simply UJA Federation honouring its ongoing tradition of tikun olam, repairing the world.”<br />According to the Jerusalem Post, there had been no injuries reported in the 3,000 member Jewish community in Lima nor to the 130 or so Israelis now in Peru. After the Second World War, most members of Peru’s Jewish community moved to Lima where they were able to establish a few key institutions including a Jewish school which houses 80% of the Jewish community’s children. Three synagogues – one Ashkenazi and two Sephardi – were also built, as well as two homes for the Jewish elderly. Even though the Jewish community has been dwindling since 1970 when it reached a peak of 5,200 members, Jews still own many businesses in Peru.<br />One of those business owners is Toronto’s Marvin Zeifman, 52. Zeifman, the owner of Kaita Natural Health Products and the H Wood Flooring Company – travels to Peru every six to eight weeks on business, something he’s been doing for 30 years. “Our offices in Lima are housed in a brand new four-storey office building which, like all new buildings there, are built up to earthquake standards,” says Zeifman, who will be heading back to Peru in early September. “When the earthquake hit, our employees – around 50 of them – ran out of the building to the parking lot where all the cars were rocking back and forth. I was caught in an earthquake in Colombia 15 years ago and, believe me, when the ground shakes, you can’t quite believe it.”<br />To make a donation visit www.ujadonations.com/Peru. Donations can also be made by calling 416. 631.5705.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">All Rights Reserved. UJA Federation of Greater Toronto</div>UJA Federationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14468305235458799097noreply@blogger.com