As one of the most respected human rights organizations in America and around the world, the American Jewish Committee is uniquely qualified to provide aid when and where it is needed most. We are motivated to respond to humanitarian crises for two primary reasons. As members of the human family we share an innate responsibility for one another. As Jews, we have learned the all too painful lesson of what happens when we are silent and ignore those who need our attention and our help.

AJC’s ability to fulfill a mission of responding to humanitarian crises was given a boost in 1998 with a generous gift establishing the Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Humanitarian Fund. Combined with campaigns, including full-page advertisements, to respond to specific situations, AJC has been able to contribute significantly to a number of crises, including: 

• Hurricane Mitch in Central America
• Repairing three California synagogues damaged by arsonists
• Turkish earthquake victims, including building a school (1999)
• Substantial aid to Muslim refugees from Kosovo (1999)
• Earthquake relief in India, including rebuilding Hindu and Muslim schools (2001)
• Earthquake victims in El Salvador (2001)
• Flood victims in the Dominican Republic and Haiti (2004)
• AJC’s Tsunami Relief Fund (2005)