Dear Andy,

Whenever a disaster strikes, time both speeds up and slows down. The clock ticks faster, and every second counts in our efforts to provide immediate, robust humanitarian responses that address the short- and long-term needs of vulnerable survivors.

But for victims of a calamity, every minute — indeed, every moment — can seem to last a lifetime.

That's been the case for Andreina Rey, a Venezuelan mother who waited weeks for answers. A month ago today, when twin 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck her country, Andreina was working in neighboring Colombia, where she'd moved to find a job and support her family.

Unable to reach her daughter by phone, and hearing grim reports of collapsed buildings, she made the harrowing 16-hour journey back to her home city of Caracas, carrying nothing but a deep sense of fear and an even deeper hope that her daughter and grandchildren had survived.

What she found was catastrophic. The apartment where her daughter, son-in-law, two young grandchildren, and other relatives lived had been reduced to rubble.

“We searched through the debris and found some of our things — including some of my grandchildren's clothes,” Andreina, 48, told us. “But there was no sign of my family. I think they likely ran toward the hallway, and I thought that's where they'd eventually be found.”

After nearly a month of combing through the wreckage, Andreina learned the news she had been dreading — all her family members had been found dead. Now, despite her anguish, she is determined to help others in need and ensure her loved ones are laid to rest with dignity.

Thankfully, Andreina isn’t alone. JDC is on the ground, delivering immediate and ongoing relief to her and thousands of others. Working alongside and with the Venezuelan Jewish community, we are bringing food, hygiene supplies, and other essentials to those who are displaced and living in tents. And in La Guaira — where more than 70% of healthcare professionals are either dead or missing — we are working with our local partners to launch a women's health clinic for infants and expectant mothers.

See our latest video update from Venezuela.

A month after the earthquakes struck, Jews around the world observed another mournful day this week — Tisha B'Av, the saddest moment in the Jewish calendar. This is the time when we grieve the long history of tragedies that have befallen our people, including the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, the Crusades, our expulsion from Spain in 1492, and the mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto. It's a day that houses our collective despair, a moment when we step back and remember.

But Tisha B'Av is more than just a period of sorrow — it's the first tentative steps toward a kinder, safer future, too. Each Shabbat following the Ninth of Av, for seven straight weeks until Rosh Hashanah, we read haftarot comforting the Jewish people. After we listen to the lamentations of the most vulnerable, we take thoughtful steps to move forward into a brighter tomorrow.

This is the very spirit we bring to our humanitarian efforts in Venezuela and around the world. When a disaster strikes, we don't come in with a one-size-fits-all solution. We stop, we listen, and we bear witness to the trauma and grief of the victims. And then, once we’ve mapped the unique needs on the ground in partnership with the hardest-hit communities, we work to create pathways to recovery, resilience, and hope.

More than four weeks after the earthquakes, thank you for standing by the people of Venezuela — and for lending both consolation and support at this most critical time.

Shabbat Shalom,

Avital Sandler-Loeff

Executive Director, International Development and Disaster Response

Sergio Widder

JDC Regional Director for Latin America