$400,000 in Fire Relief to Los Angeles Synagogues
Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles and JFEDLA Announce Joint Effort to Provide Wildfire Relief to Synagogues for Fire-Affected Congregants
Los Angeles (February 13, 2025) – In response to the devastating fires that impacted local communities, the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles (The Foundation) and The Jewish Federation Los Angeles (JFEDLA) have provided local synagogues with funding for congregants who lost homes and businesses.
The Foundation and JFEDLA distributed more than $400,000 in combined funding this week to 26 synagogues whose members living throughout Los Angeles – from Pacific Palisades to Pasadena – suffered significant losses in the wildfires. Synagogue leaders will distribute the funds at their discretion to best support their congregants.
Allocations to each of the synagogues were based on research detailing the number of congregants affected by the fires at area synagogues. This research indicated that over 1,000 Jewish families lost homes and 50 Jewish-owned business were destroyed.
Rabbi Aaron Lerner, Foundation president and CEO, stated: “This collaborative effort is just one of the ways The Foundation is ensuring our community institutions can direct much-needed support to families and individuals who have suffered significant losses. By working closely with our community’s synagogues and JFEDLA, we can ensure that support extends directly to those facing tremendous loss.”
Rabbi Noah Farkas, JFEDLA president and CEO, stated: “This strategically earmarked funding will directly help members of our greater Los Angeles community who were displaced or severely impacted by the wildfires receive urgent financial assistance. We are here for all of Los Angeles at this time, Jews and non-Jews alike, as we continue to provide aid to a wide swath of recovery efforts. We will continue addressing the many diverse needs we are seeing in the months and years ahead.”
This collaborative effort exemplifies the strength and unity of the Los Angeles Jewish community in times of crisis. The Foundation and JFEDLA remain committed to aiding victims of the wildfires and will continue to work diligently to address their needs into the future.