Our Mission

Our father, grandfather, great-grandfather, Rupert Morris Buntin Jr.'s longtime, faith-driven commitment of helping the Jewish people return to their ancestral homeland has continued to guide our efforts. We are endeavoring to carry out his vision, and work to assist the Jewish people to return to their God-given land of Israel, as well as to administer humanitarian relief wherever we are able.  Over the years we have worked in many ways to fulfill this two-fold mission, traveling in person for boots-on-the-ground initiatives. We invite you to learn more about our work to facilitate the return of Jewish families to the state of Israel – especially from regions affected by conflict or persecution - and to provide essential needs such as food, shelter and clothing to vulnerable Jewish communities. We helped fund emergency airlifts to Israel for families fleeing war-torn nations, as well as secure ground-transportation to safely escort groups of civilians through dangerous regions. Overseeing these efforts in person has also helped us to forge many important connections and to expand our global network of individuals and groups who share our goals and mission.

Rupert raised his family on the water and is famous for one of his favorite sayings: “If you want to see God work, go to sea”. He raised his eleven children on a series of vessels they all learned to operate and maintain, living on the sea, and a series of anchorages and ports through southeast Alaska they would for a time call home. Staying true to these roots remains a guiding principle for our family and for our mission. With that legacy in mind, we also remain vigilant for a large ocean-going vessel to prepare for times to come. When land and air routes become impassable in times of crisis, we intend to fulfill Rupert’s vision, and calling, of carrying Jewish people home by sea. Our goal is to ensure that we are prepared and capable of responding quickly when we are needed most in the areas that we have been called to serve.

Although we are not accepting monetary donations - The Buntin Foundation is funded exclusively by our family’s contributions - we are able to accept, and actively seeking, the donation of a large seaworthy vessel. Such a vessel would remain in our possession and be operated directly by us to advance and fulfill the objectives we have outlined here. (Sea transports for Jewish people in need have recently been conducted and successfully completed by our personal friend and colleague, IDF Commander Joel Golden. You can read more here about his mission and our partnership with his ministry.)