Jewish Businessman Gives $10,000 to Rescued Chilean Miners
A Chilean Jewish mining executive has written $10,000 checks to each of the 33 miners that are being rescued from a collapsed mine in Chile after being trapped for more than two months.
Leonardo Farkas reportedly gave the checks in the miners’ names to each of the families and set up a separate fund to collect donations, The Associated Press reported. The money is more than some of the miners earn in a year.
By early Wednesday afternoon Chilean time, about half the miners had been pulled from the San Jose gold and copper mine, where they had been trapped since its collapse on Aug. 5.
Without complications, all the miners are expected to be pulled to freedom by Thursday, according to reports. The Chilean miners reportedly have survived the longest of anyone buried underground.
Farkas is a well-known philanthropist in Chile who appears annually on a telethon run by the country’s major television networks to raise funds to help children with developmental disabilities. In 2008 he donated about $1.5 million to the cause.
Farkas owns businesses in several industries, with mining comprising the most important of his holdings.
He was sued recently by his Australian partners, accused of inappropriately using company funds for personal charitable donations.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
