The January 2010 earthquake in Haiti mobilized the Jewish and general communities worldwide to help. I followed the progress of the aid workers closely, and was privileged to talk with Ruth Messinger and her staff at the American Jewish World Service. I was particularly struck by the difference between some superficial news briefs that described the money raised for Haiti as if it were already there, and the reality I learned from AJWS: That any aid campaign is at best a slow, steady progress from initial fundraising to finally implementing the practical help "on the ground." And I learned that AJWS is among the best in the world at doing this.
