Thirteen weeks into the Mount Kilauea eruption flows on Hawaii’s Big Island, they are still going strong with no end in sight. Rabbi Rachel Short, formerly of Leawood, who now lives on the Big Island, said conditions continue to become worse as each day goes on and more and more homes are lost.
“The most difficult thing about this is that the homes aren’t just lost like in a flood or a hurricane, but the land is being covered with lava and pretty much condemned, so we’re seeing somewhat of a housing crisis on the island as 700-plus homes have been lost,” Rabbi Short said.
Some homes that are still standing are inaccessible due to sulfur dioxide in the air or because the roads are covered by lava. Fortunately, she and her husband were able to return to their home in upper Puna.
“It’s a natural disaster unlike anyone’s ever seen,” she said. “I was talking to the Red Cross shelter manager and he said in all their years of relief and recovery assistance, no one’s ever experienced anything like this. We can’t even go into the recovery mode because we’re still not over the disaster.”
The local Red Cross will be taking over soon and local volunteers are being sought to help people in shelters with the PTSD they are suffering due to the loss of their homes.
During the week of July 23, Rabbi Short said some of the most beloved community spots in lower Puna were lost to lava, including much of the ocean access and coastal points, and the Kapoho Bay tide pools, which were popular snorkeling locations known throughout the island for the sea turtles and many varieties of fish.
For her personally, the loss to lava of Pohoiki in the Puna district where she and much of her congregation surfed and swam was the most difficult she said.
No one has any idea how long the eruptions will last. The U.S. Geological Survey said it could be months or years.
“I’ve heard figures that only a small percentage of the lava that is under the surface has been seen,” Rabbi Short said. “There’s a lot more lava. This is unlike any other flow they’ve experienced. And as the eruption and the lava continues down in lower Puna, there’s been a 5.3 earthquake every day at Halema’uma’u crater and every time that depletes, more lava is coming out down below.”
In addition to the Red Cross, FEMA is on hand, but there is not much they can do at this point.
“FEMA’s doing what they can; they’re trying, but it’s like everyone’s learning together. FEMA isn’t even aware of how to relieve and respond to this,” she said.
Rabbi Short said she believes $34,000 is the maximum assistance FEMA can give, but for people who have lost their homes and their land that isn’t much.
She said she’s happy to see how the federal government has stepped up to be of service, but she is not happy with the Jewish response.
“That’s been a very frustrating thing throughout all this, that none of our national Jewish organizations have stepped up to be of support,” she said.
Other religious organizations are on the island helping to raise money and build temporary housing, but no Jewish organizations. “It’s a shanda to not have them here,” she said.
“It’s becoming too much for myself and our small organization, our board of eight people, to provide financial assistance, spiritual assistance, emotional assistance, all these things that are very much needed that (other) organizations should be here helping us with now.”
Rabbi Short said "so many Jews have been impacted by this," explaining that the majority of the members of her congregation, Ahava 'Aina, live in lower Puna.
"These aren't people who are just sitting around waiting for a handout. They're people who have been forced to leave their houses; they're staying on couches with friends.
"It's becoming too much for myself and our small organization, our board of eight people, to provide financial assistance, spiritual assistance, emotional assistance, all these things that are very much needed."
Anyone who wishes to give financially can go to Rabbi Short’s synagogue website, ahavaaina.org; there’s a button on the far right that says “give.” Ahava ‘Aina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to heal the world. Contributions are tax deductible.
“All donations we’re receiving have gone toward lava relief efforts,” she said. “These donations have gone for everything from buying supplies for people in shelters to helping with meals. We’re not taking anything even in terms of gas money to go and pick up supplies. Every single dime we’re getting is going back to the community in some way. So financial contributions are really needed and really appreciated.”
Rabbi Short said anyone can contact her directly at if they have something they want to offer.
Prayer is also very much appreciated, she said. “Any sort of connection — it can feel like we’ve sort of been forgotten out here.”