Help a family rebuild after the quake in Turkey

On February 6, 2023, two deadly earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria, killing over 57,000 people. As we now know, the relief efforts were massive, and continue on. The need is very great, and if you are able, donating here will go directly to the aid of one family, the Cenudioglus.

The following words are from Ela Cenudioglu:

"My uncle Ezra Cenudioglu went through the earthquake in our hometown Antioch (Antakya). He survived with his wife, they waited in their apartment until the first earthquake finished and ran and threw themselves out of the building.

He is 70 years old and has lived all his life in Antakya. He and his wife lost everything, unfortunately they have no savings. He came to Istanbul temporarily but will go to Bursa which is a cheaper and easier to live city in Türkiye".

In this interview you can hear him say that he is really attached to Antakya and wants to come back when it is rebuilt. He also talks about what kind of place Antakya was. He is saying that they had Christian, Muslim, Jewish neighbours and friends. He mentions it was a town where everyone lived peacefully, no matter what religion or belief they had.”

Below are some photos from his apartment and neighborhood. They have not returned since they left when the quake hit.

Ela’s other uncle, Saul, and his wife Tuna did not survive the earthquake.

It will take years to rebuild Antakya and the other parts of both countries that were destroyed in the quakes. Antakya holds a special cultural significance for many in Türkiye, and especially the Jewish population.

You can hear Ela speak about Antakya in this short clip from CNN here .

Please consider donating to help Ezra and his family get back on their feet. A little goes a long way and will go directly to him in starting over in a new community and a new city.

My name is Anna Spelman, I’m from the U.S. and have been based in Istanbul since 2019. I’m organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my dear friend Ela. She and I are both members of the ROI Community and she was one of the first people to welcome me to Istanbul when I moved there, in the spirit of true Turkish hospitality. She and her family are doing everything they can to help their family members rebuild. I will follow up after the fundraiser with information on how the funds were used. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you might have.