No injuries reported at Jewish center in Salento

By Etgar Lefkovits
Aug. 14, 2026

(JNS) A Chabad House in Colombia was damaged in the powerful earthquake that struck the South American country this week.

There were no injuries, but the roof and walls of the building in Salento, nearly 200 miles west of Bogotá, were badly damaged by the tremor.

“Thank God, we emerged unscathed from the earthquake, and that is the miracle for us,” Chabad Rabbi Shmuel Friedman told JNS Wednesday. “Now we are dealing with the damage and the repairs so that we continue to be an open house to Jewish visitors from around the world.”

An online fundraising campaign for the Chabad House has raised more than $45,000 toward a $200,000 goal.

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing hundreds of people, with hundreds more still missing.

Israel sent an 80-person aid delegation to assist Colombia in recovery efforts.

More than 3,500 Chabad Houses operate around the world.