As you have likely seen on the news, wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have devastated communities on the island.  According to news reports, the fires have caused at least 36 deaths, have wiped out the historic city of Lahaina, and destroyed people’s homes. Not only does Maui’s community need our help, but many people are fleeing to Honolulu where Jewish communal organizations will receive many requests for support.

We are in touch with local communities. The Jewish community in Hawaii is led by a number of synagogues, Chabad, and the Jewish Community Services of Hawaii. The Jewish Congregation of Maui has a report about events on the ground and its community’s immediate needs.

While the full level of need is yet to be determined, we understand that national support will be important. When there is a need for collective action, Jewish Federations are there.

In order to help respond, we have opened a dedicated national mailbox through our Emergency Committee—a volunteer body that allocates emergency funds collected to address disaster relief—to ensure that additional contributions flow to the affected communities. 

A toolkit of resources is available for Federations to use in this effort.


We urge you to join us in supporting the relief efforts and to share this information with others in your community who might be inclined to donate to this cause. 

Please contact Elana Broitman if you have questions or ways to help.