The devastation in Nepal is tremendous. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the Himalayan nation April 25 killed at least 5,000 people, with the prime minister predicting that figure could rise as high as 10,000. Tens of thousands were injured or left homeless. Countless structures, including several world heritage sights that represented the pinnacle of Nepalese culture, were reduced to rubble.
The entire world has responded with offers of emergency financial and material aid, the United States and the United Kingdom leading the way. But one country deployed more emergency personnel than any other: Israel.
Within 48 hours of the earthquake, a team from Magen David Adom, Israel’s version of the Red Cross, was on the ground, as were teams from Zaka, IsraAID, United Hatzalah and others. Within three days of the quake, Israel sent an Israel Defense Forces delegation made up of more than 250 doctors and search-and-rescue team members. They set up a 60-bed field hospital and got to work. According to the Times of Israel, this is the largest aid convoy Israel has ever sent abroad.
Those who know Israel and the character of its people will not be surprised by the country’s epic response.
The massive 2010 quake in Haiti elicited a similar effort from Israel. The nation has endured all too much experience with trauma, triage and emergency medicine, but it is always ready to offer that expertise to those in need.
Moreover, Israel takes care of its own. Nepal is a popular travel destination for young Israelis eager to hike the Himalayas, and when the quake hit, more than 2,000 Israeli citizens reportedly were in the landlocked country. Immediately, Israel set about rescuing or otherwise accounting for every one of them.
As of press time, only one Israeli remained unaccounted for, and the effort to locate him goes on. In addition, several Israelis declined to be evacuated so they could stay on and help with ongoing rescue and recovery efforts.
This impulse to help does not end with Israel. Jewish organizations around the world, including here in the Bay Area, immediately put out the call for aid. From American Jewish World Service to our local Jewish community federations, the Jewish people stepped up to help a tiny nation brought to its knees.
We urge our readers to join in and donate generously to any one of these Jewish organizations sending aid to Nepal.
No one can predict or prevent killer earthquakes. But each of us can do something to help the victims. It’s part of our common humanity, and it’s the Jewish way.
May the people of Nepal recover and rebuild.