Deadly Venezuela Earthquake Leaves Jewish Community Shaken, Israel Reviews Aid Options

A powerful earthquake struck Venezuela overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, hitting the country’s northern coast and causing severe destruction in Caracas and surrounding areas. It was described as the strongest quake recorded in Venezuela in the past 100 years. Early estimates suggested a major disaster with fears of thousands of casualties, while President Delcy Rodríguez said the official toll currently stands at at least 32 dead and about 700 injured.

Rodríguez said the government would declare a national emergency and noted that international rescue teams were already on their way to help. In Caracas, members of the Jewish community said they experienced panic and extensive damage. Elais Farah told N12, “We felt like we were on a ship in the middle of a storm,” describing a long, violent shaking that stopped briefly and then resumed. He said the building seemed as if it might move, with ceilings and walls shifting and objects falling.

Bnei Mizrahi, another local Jewish resident, told N12 that inside the home “everything just fell and broke,” including pictures, vases and televisions. He said nearby buildings had collapsed blocks and walls and developed large cracks, adding, “We feel a very strong fear. You cannot do anything. You have no control.” Video he sent to N12 showed his home shaking violently and objects smashing to the floor.

Community members moved to open areas away from buildings because of the real risk of aftershocks. Mizrahi said, “Everyone in the Jewish community is okay.” Chabad emissaries in Venezuela, Leibel and Chafziva Shochet, were at home during the quake. Chafziva Shochet said she received a phone alert at about 6 p.m., and the shaking began almost immediately, making the entire house move “like an airplane in turbulence” for about 15 minutes. She said there are cracks in the walls, pictures fell, and there is no electricity or water. Following the reports, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar instructed the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem to hold urgent situation assessments and examine immediate aid options, including the possible dispatch of an Israeli rescue and relief mission.