'A moment of unity': Jewish community comes together to support families after Florida building collapse
SURFSIDE, Fla. — The partial collapse of a 12-story beachfront condominium building just north of Miami on Thursday has devastated and mobilized the tight-knit Jewish community in South Florida.
As rescue workers continue to search for survivors and family members await news of their missing loved ones, the community has come together in an outpouring of support.
Many of those who were in the partially collapsed building were Jewish, and as many as 20 of the 159 people who remained missing Friday are of the faith, according to Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, Israel's consul general in Miami.
Sharona Abadi, a volunteer with Caneda International, a Jewish nonprofit that provides relief in natural disasters, spent Friday sorting through donations that poured in from the community and handing out food, water and dry clothes.
Volunteering in the aftermath has been a particularly draining experience, she said, because “everybody here has someone they know or someone that knows someone” in the building, herself among them.
But a bright spot in the darkness was the support — from residents and volunteers to religious organizations and sports teams.
“Be proud of the Miami community," she said. "This is when you see how the community is that you live in."
The response in the community extended beyond faith, Elbaz-Starinsky said.
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Rebecca Fishman Lispey, CEO of the Miami Foundation, said she has been moved by the way organizations and individuals have stepped up in the aftermath of the tragedy.
The foundation is working with philanthropic partners — including the Coral Gables Community Foundation, Key Biscayne Community Foundation and the Miami Heat — to raise money for the families. So far, they have raised $340,000 through supportsurfside.org.
"It is so clear this was a moment of unity," she said.
Prayer groups form
On WhatsApp, prayer groups cropped up by midmorning Thursday in both Spanish and English with people taking turns reading psalms. Participants shared updated lists with the Hebrew names of community members who are missing. Some users forwarded photos and heart-wrenching pleas from family members seeking information.
Members of the Skylake Synagogue, about 20 minutes from Surfside, collected socks, underwear, blankets, pillows and toiletries for the families awaiting news. They sought volunteers with vans to drive the supplies to Surfside as the donations piled up.
A GoFundMe page started by the Skylake Synagogue late Thursday evening raised about $36,000 by Friday.
“There are still many people unaccounted for,” wrote Rabbi Ariel Yeshurun on the GoFundMe page. “Please help us raise money for the families affected by this horrible tragedy."
Similarly, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation began collecting donations, as did an online donation fund set up by the Shul of Bal Harbour. The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County also started an emergency relief fund.
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"When darkness and tragedy fall upon us, it's our duty as a community to come together," said Rabbi Leib Ezagui, of the Jewish Community Synagogue in North Palm Beach. "It doesn't make sense, and we may never be able to wrap our heads around it."
"But one thing we can be certain of is that by doing good deeds and lending a helping hand in whatever way we can, we are planting a seed that can forever be nurtured," Ezagui added.
Family friend among the missing
As of Friday afternoon, four people have been confirmed dead in the building collapse, and 10 others are being treated for injuries. Chaim Rosenberg, a close family friend of Ezagui, is among the 159 missing.
Rosenberg, whose condo unit was on the second floor of Champlain Towers South facing the beach, had arrived in Florida from New York just hours before the building's collapse. He moved up his flight by a day in order to prepare for the arrival of his daughter and son-in-law, who were visiting from New Jersey, Ezagui said. All three remain missing.
"It's unfathomable," Ezagui said. "It's shocking. All we can do is remember that every moment is dear. Every second should be cherished."
Ezagui said he and his family remain hopeful that some survivors will be pulled from the rubble. While the wait continues, Ezagui continues to offer his prayers and support for the families of those affected by the tragedy.
Rabbi Moshe Scheiner of Palm Beach Synagogue in Palm Beach said he will share a similar message with his congregants as they gather for services Saturday morning. Services will include a prayer for those who remain missing.
"There's no comprehension as to why tragedies like this occur in this world," Scheiner said. "The only thing that we could do is show love and compassion and empathy and support for the victims. That's where we see God. We see God in human beings' kindness and goodness."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida building collapse: Local Jewish community comes together
