Jewish and Israel-based organizations are working to provide aid to locals in Jamaica, days after the island nation was ravaged by one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall.
At least 28 people died as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, along with at least 31 in Haiti, after the Category 5 hurricane hit the islands on Tuesday with winds of as much as 185 mph (295 kph). The Red Cross says that more than 70% of people across Jamaica still do not have electricity, and that about 6,000 are in emergency shelters.
In Montego Bay, Jamaica's most popular tourist city, Chabad of Jamaica said it has offered relief services to locals, including providing shelter, emergency aid and phone charging stations, even as its building sustained severe damage.
"It's a nightmare here," said Rabbi Yaakov Raskin, head of the local Chabad. "By the time people understood the size of this storm, the airports were closed, so all we could do was ask people to pray for us."
Meanwhile, IsraAID, Israel's leading independent humanitarian organization, sent a six-person emergency response team to Jamaica after the storm passed.
"After we conducted a rapid needs assessment, we started focusing on water, sanitation, and hygiene, which is one of the most urgent needs after a disaster like this," said a spokesperson for the organization, which has responded to more than 100 humanitarian emergencies in more than 65 countries since it was founded in 2001. Israid also brought mental health experts to provide mental health and psychosocial support, she added
As the hurricane hit, Raskin, his wife and their five children saw the windows of their home shatter and doors blown off their hinges, as the building flooded. Freezers packed with kosher food, to be distributed among the Jewish community once the storm passed, were destroyed as the couple huddled with their children in a windowless room in the center of the home.
"It was like a tug of war for four hours, trying to keep from getting hurt by things flying everywhere," Raskin said.
Just a day later, however, the family was working to coordinate relief efforts, including arranging a private plane from Miami with essential goods like kosher food, medical supplies and baby formula. Despite a car damaged by falling debris and roads blocked by fallen trees and electric poles, Raskin was able to work with supporters in the United States, Hatzolah Air, and Jamaican minister Delano Seiveright to arrange the delivery.
Another plane with an atmospheric water generator capable of producing clean drinking water from air is expected to be delivered in the coming days.
The Chabad chapter also hosted Shabbat meals for about 15 Jewish residents and travelers who were unable to leave the island, even as others sheltered in the building.
"Right after the storm, we got on the phone with all of the 360 Jews on the island to see what they needed," Raskin said. "Fortunately, no one in our community was killed, but there was tremendous damage. One woman told us that her entire house was destroyed and that she hadn't eaten for two days. Even people who aren't the biggest believers did a lot of praying during the storm."
Jamaica has about 200 permanent Jewish residents, as well as others who own homes there and visit occasionally, a spokesman for Chabad said. The tropical island is a popular vacation destination that usually hosts some 1,000 Jewish tourists at any given time, he noted.
Rabbi Raskin, a third-generation Chabad emissary From New York who has lived in Jamaica since 2011, said he would continue to work to take care of the needs of those around him, Jewish or not.
"Despite the overwhelming obstacles and limited internet and electricity, we're connecting with community members who need help and coordinating the distribution of emergency supplies," said Raskin. "We have a responsibility to everyone on the island, [and] that commitment continues even as we operate with limited electricity, no water, and no internet connection."
The Chabad branch has already raised more than $160,000 out of $1 million it seeks to cover the costs of relief efforts.
IsraAID had a staff member already stationed in Jamaica, and brought specialists from IsraAID offices in nearby Colombia and Dominica, where it set up an office in 2017 following Hurricane Maria. Subsequent storms like Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Beryl in 2024 have forced the group to become experts in disaster preparedness and recovery for the entire Caribbean, the organization said.
"IsraAID is proud to be able to build on our regional presence and expertise to launch an urgent response," said IsraAID's Senior Director of Emergency Operations Michal Bar. "As with our previous responses in the region, we'll stand with communities for as long as they need us."
Another Israeli humanitarian organization, SmartAID, said last week it deployed to the island a shipment of 10 pallets containing batteries and solar power units. Additional resources, including microgrids, clean water systems, and connectivity hardware from its corporate partners, were also being dispatched.
SmartAID said it was collaborating closely with the Jamaican Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and national relief organizations to deploy solar power systems, mobile communication units, and water-purification technology in the areas hardest hit.
"When power and connectivity collapse, aid stops, rescue cannot coordinate, and families cannot reach help," said SmartAID Founding Director Shachar Zahavi. "Our mission is to keep essential services running in the midst of this disaster and to build resilience for what comes next."
Other Jewish American organizations are also working to provide assistance. Jewish Federations of North America has established a Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund, and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is collecting money to provide humanitarian aid, the organizations said.