Update on Fire in Israel
Beth El and the United Synagogue are horrified by the forest fire in northern Israel, which has killed dozens of people so far and is not yet under control. Read more about it in Haaretz or the Jerusalem Post.
We know that many people's first instinct is to help, and we know that there are many good ways to do that. We suggest donating through Masorti, the Conservative movement in Israel.
None of the Masorti/Conservative communities has been affected directly by the fire, but they are engaged actively in caring for the displaced and the situation still is fluid. The fund will meet immediate relief needs, including housing. After that, money will be spent on longer-term relief volunteer efforts through Noam, Masorti's youth movement in Israel. Any leftover funds will go to our partners, the Jewish National Fund, as a gift from the Conservative/Masorti movement.
To donate online, go to Masorti's contribution page and click on the Fire Emergency Fund link in the Program Designation dropdown menu.
If the link above does not work, copy and paste the following into your browser's address bar: https://npo.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=1001458
To donate by check, send it to:
Masorti Foundation
475 Riverside Drive
Suite 832
New York NY 10115
Note that it's for the Fire Emergency Fund, or call the foundation at 212-870-2216 to donate by credit card.
There is a special prayer developed for this tragedy. It's available in Hebrew and inEnglish on our USCJ Website. Click the highlighted words to open a pdf version of the prayers.