AJC, Israeli Relief Group Assist Oklahoma Tornado Victims

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May 29, 2013, 12:36 ET

NEW YORK, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC is proudly supporting IsraAID, a major Israeli humanitarian relief organization that is providing vital assistance directly to Oklahoma residents in communities devastated by a series of powerful tornadoes.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100816/AJCLOGO )

"We share the pain of Oklahomans who suffered tremendously from the impact of incredibly violent storms, and join with other Americans in doing what can be done to assist in the rebuilding of their severely damaged communities," said AJC Executive Director David Harris.

"The Israeli relief teams are impressive, among the very first to arrive at the scene of a natural disaster, quickly assisting those in need, and, in this instance, working closely with Christian and other local groups in Oklahoma," said Harris.

AJC has supported IsraAID: The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid in a number of crises, including Sri Lanka after the devastating South Asian tsunami in 2004, a powerful earthquake in Peru in 2007, a tropical storm that hit the Philippines in 2009, and the huge earthquake in Haiti in 2010.

The AJC donation for Oklahoma relief is made possible through the generosity of the AJC Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Humanitarian Fund.

Humanitarian relief has been a core tenet of AJC's work for more than a century. "Our tradition commands us to respond generously and compassionately to those who suffer from both natural and man-made disasters," Harris said.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee