Emergency Aid to Haiti


Dear PJTC family,

It is unimaginable the amount of destruction, pain and suffering that is occurring in Haiti right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, those Haitian immigrants here in America who have lost loved ones, and the people of Haiti. It is not often that we, here in Pasadena, have a personal connection to a tragedy in another country, except of course in Israel. But, one of our congregants and Sisterhood board members, Lindsay Wetmore-Arkader, does have a very personal connection to a special home for boys in Haiti. Her letter of appeal is below.

While you are welcome to contribute tzedakkah to one of the relief agencies collecting, I would like to suggest that we collect directly for this home, knowing that all of the money will go to the children in need and that we can make a bigger difference for this smaller organization. Monies will be collected through my discretionary fund and I will send one check from our community.

Agencies on the ground that are accepting donations include the American Jewish World Service and the American Joint Distribution Committee.

May God send comfort, healing, blessing and hope to those suffering and may our hearts open to our fellow human beings in this time of great tragedy.

b’Shalom,

Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater


From Lindsay Wetmore-Arkader

Dear PJTC family,

At the request of Rabbi Levine-Grater, I am writing to appeal to our PJTC community to reach out to a very special Haitian family. Frankly, I am at a loss for words…and for those who know me, this is huge. The earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010 hit very close to home for me. As an undergraduate and graduate student, I spent five summers living with and working alongside some of the most amazing children in Haiti at St. Joseph's Home for Boys, an orphanage in the Port au Prince area. Last night, St. Joseph's was totally destroyed. Thirty young boys are now, once again homeless, and are looking to one special man for protection and guidance. Michael Geilenfeld, a former monk who worked with Mother Theresa's Brothers of Charity, started this home in 1985 with five boys, $100 and a promise to build a family with them. Since then, Michael has built two additional homes: a home for disabled and HIV-positive orphans, Wings of Hope, a few miles southeast of Port au Prince and Trinity House, in Jacmel, a coastal town in the south of Haiti. Wings of Hope has sustained immense structural damage and now the special needs children are living in what was once the kitchen, along with their tireless caretakers. Now, twenty-five years later, instead of celebrating all that he has accomplished, Michael and the children are staring down total devastation.

Miracles are to be appreciated. From all that has been lost, much has been saved. Only three of the boys and young men have been reported as injured…and gratefully, none are critical as of yet. It is my hope that as a PJTC community, we can reach out to Michael and his family to help sustain them through this immediate crisis and to rebuild in the coming weeks, months and years.

Please donate as much as you are comfortable with. I know that times are hard for all of us, but please remember how lucky we all are to be safe. Feel free to visit the website for the US based group Hearts with Haiti, who manage donations received for Michael and his homes. Any donations you would like to be collected and sent on behalf of the PJTC community should be made to PJTC Mitzvah Fund, Memo Line: St. Joseph's Home for Boys - Haiti. Donations can be mailed to or dropped off at the PJTC office. Rabbi Grater will send one large check once all donations have been collected. Please note that all donations made to The St. Joseph's Home for Boys are tax deductible.

Thank you for considering my dear friend Michael Geilenfeld and the numerous children he cares for day in and day out.

Lindsay Wetmore-Arkader