NEW YORK (Press Release) — In cooperation with The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) has established the Carmel Fire-Israel Emergency Fund to help Israel battle the worst fire in the country’s history. Funds will be distributed via the Israeli Reform Movements’ Humanitarian Fund.
Forty people died and dozens more were injured as a huge brushfire raged across the Carmel Mountains near Haifa today. Among the casualties were students in the Israeli Prison Service’s guard course who were being brought to the Damon Prison to aid in evacuating prisoners there.
Twelve-thousand Israelis were evacuated from their homes and thousands of acres of forest and bush land have been destroyed.
Firefighters have run out of chemicals to extinguish the flames and helicopters are unable to operate at night to put out the fires with water from the Mediterranean Sea.
Firefighting teams have been brought in from all over the country and help is also on the way from Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria. Friday’s forecast calls for strong easterly winds that will make the firefighters’ work more difficult.
Residents from the U.S. can help by making a donation through the Carmel Fire-Israel Emergency Fund page. Canadian residents should visit
http://www.arzacanada.org/ to donate.
*Neither ARZA nor the URJ withholds any overhead costs for emergency funds, with the exception of direct costs such as credit card fees.
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In other reactions, J Street issued the following statement:
“J Street joins our brothers and sisters in Israel in mourning the 40 Israelis who passed away in today’s horrific fire,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families and all those affected by this tragedy. We applaud Israel’s neighbors who have stepped up to support the Israeli firefighters, and urge continued international cooperation to contain the fire and prevent further loss and destruction.”
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Precedin provided by ARZA and J Street