A deadly earthquake strikes Venezuela. Israeli and Jewish aid organizations rush to the scene, and tens of thousands of Jews worldwide open their wallets to help.

Weeks later, another powerful earthquake rocks Colombia, and days after that, a flash flood devastates communities along the Nepal-Tibet border. Again, Israeli and Jewish organizations mobilize.

We do this even as the global Jewish community is experiencing tremendous challenges, many of which have hit incredibly close to home.

And yet, when tragedy strikes in Venezuela, Colombia, or Nepal, we give. And we go.

Why do we keep going?

Of course, there are many good answers.

Humanitarian work demonstrates what Israeli and Jewish organizations can contribute to the world. It creates relationships and builds goodwill. More than anything else, it reminds people that Israelis and Jews are not defined by the political conflicts that so often dominate the headlines.

Through my work at OLAM, a network of Jewish and Israeli organizations doing precisely this kind of work, I’ve seen all of those things happen. Humanitarian and development work has opened doors that politics never could.

It has also created genuine partnerships between Israelis, Jews, and communities around the world.

In the days after October 7, one of OLAM’s partner organizations in India began every Friday staff meeting with a moment of silence for the Israeli hostages. The team is made up of Hindus, Muslims, Catholics, Jains, and Jews.

They continued that ritual every week while hostages were being held in Gaza as an expression of support for the Israelis they’d been working with for years.

But I’ve also seen cases where Israelis responding to humanitarian crises have had to conceal their nationality simply to be allowed to save lives.

So why do we insist on going when goodwill is not guaranteed? When we sometimes have to hide our identity in order to save lives?

The answer is almost embarrassingly simple: because it is the right thing to do.

Jews’ Sense of Obligation to Aid Wherever Disasters Strike... Continue reading

This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on October 9, 2026.