A call for leadership on regional progress

Restoration work continues on Congregation Beth Yeshurun, a Conservative synagogue in Houston that was flooded after Hurricane Harvey. Photo courtesy Marianne Chervitz

By Vicki Singer and Marianne Chervitz

What would you take if you only had moments to leave your home in a crisis?  What would you leave behind?  

The stories of fear, loss, adversity, resilience, hope and strength shared by Houston’s Jewish community post-Hurricane Harvey have stayed with us since our visit in March. We were part of a Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) fly-in mission with professionals and lay leaders from around the country.

Last August, Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston with 50 inches of rain in less than five days, more than its annual amount. The Jewish community of Houston — 51,000 strong and primarily situated in the Meyerland neighborhood — was hit harder than most areas.  Seven major Jewish institutions flooded and 2,000 Jewish families were displaced from their homes. 

The Houston Federation, Jewish Community Center, a major Jewish assisted-living facility, and a number of Houston area synagogues and day schools, including the largest Conservative congregation in the United States, all sustained catastrophic damage. Jewish organizations and individuals sounded the call for emergency relief. So we gathered supplies, loaded them on trucks, donated funds, shared posts, and came together to help others in their time of need. 

More than 13,000 donors from all 50 states and Canada helped in the immediate aftermath of Harvey. The State of Israel made a historic $1 million grant.  Jewish Federation of St. Louis heeded the call by establishing the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, raising nearly $60,000 for relief efforts — $10,000 from a board-approved discretionary allocation from a restricted fund used only for emergency/crisis relief and the rest given directly from donors in our community. 

Why is this story important now?  Why is it important to St. Louis?

The entire Houston Jewish community was affected in some way by this disaster.  Most people had been supporters and never recipients of Federation assistance until now. Since government funds were limited and have not yet been distributed, most people could not have gotten through the past eight months without the financial and communal support that the Federation system can provide. 

While this phenomenal support should be celebrated, significant needs remain.  It is anticipated that meaningful response to these needs will require in excess of $50 million and take up to five years.  The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston has committed to raising a total of $30 million and is focused in three primary areas: help families, sustain Jewish life and institutional restoration. It is currently at $20 million. Donations are still being accepted via a link on the Jewish Federations of North America’s website https://jewishfederations.org/hurricane-harvey-relief-fund.

To those unsure of the relevance or critical importance of the Federation system, we are reminded of the Talmudic teaching:  Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh — all of Israel is responsible for each other. 

Federation is a dynamic support system quickly responding to the needs of our local, national and global communities.  The way that the Federations around the country came together to provide a safety net during this crisis was truly inspiring. It was reassuring to know that should any type of natural disaster happen in St. Louis, we have brothers and sisters around the globe who would be here for us in our time of need.  

What Houston teaches St. Louis is that we are always stronger together than alone. 

Vicki Singer is the past Women’s Philanthropy Chair and Current National Women’s Philanthropy Representative and Marianne Chervitz is Development Associate for Women’s Philanthropy at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.