Press Releases

In response to the deadly tsunami that struck Indonesia’s Sunda Strait region on Saturday evening killing hundreds, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), is providing emergency relief and assessing emerging needs through its local partner in the Kalianda and Rajabasa subdistricts in Lampung. The aid provision includes health services, clean water, and critical supplies for survivors and the displaced.

In the face of the horrific tragedy in Squirrel Hill, the JDC family stands with our brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh, mourning the tragic loss of life at the Tree of Life Congregation. We salute the bravery of local law enforcement officers. As our hearts go out to the victims of this senseless act, we resolve to resist hatred in all its vile forms. May the memory of those lost today be for a blessing, and may their families and our wider community find solace and healing in the time ahead.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) launched Tikkun Olam Ventures (TOV), an innovative new program addressing poverty among Africa’s smallholder farmers by leveraging Israeli agricultural technology and training, Jewish philanthropy and private capital, and access to new markets for crops. Initiated with a two-year pilot in Ethiopia, TOV currently has seven demonstration sites growing vegetables in the country’s Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR). Inspired by Seth Merrin – founder and CEO of the fintech company Liquidnet, which provided the anchor grant for TOV through its corporate impact program, Liquidnet for Good – JDC partnered with other leading American Jewish philanthropists and Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry to bring TOV to fruition.

Continuing a tradition started before the fall of the Soviet Union thirty years ago, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and its network of volunteers will provide extra aid and traditional Rosh Hashanah treats — including apples and honey — to thousands of poor, elderly Jews across the former Soviet Union. The aid — provided by JDC through its partners the Claims Conference, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), the Jewish Federations, and other generous donors – will be distributed in hundreds of locations throughout the region where JDC will also hold scores of holiday events to mark the Jewish New Year.

The Jewish community of India, together with American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is responding to the destructive floods in Kerala, providing food and clothing to hundreds of families hard-hit by the disaster. With a presence in India since 1950, JDC and its partners in the Jewish community will provide the aid through the All-India Disaster Mitigation Agency, its longstanding partner, and will continue to raise funds and monitor needs for future support given the extent of the flooding, which has killed hundreds of people and displaced hundreds of thousands. To support JDC’s response in India, visit: jdc.org/disasters