With water cascading down the stairs, Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, Rabbi Zushe Winner and his sons rescued 2 Sefer Torahs from the basement of their Shul during Hurricane Sandy.
Aside from numerous fallen trees, much of Brooklyn remains relatively intact, but residents of Brighton Beach are in far worse straits.
Rabbi Zushe Winner and his sons were home on Monday evening when they saw water quickly rising up the front steps of their house. There is nothing between their home and the ocean but a small park. Since their shul is located next door, they decided to go there, where they deemed it would be safer. They wrapped themselves in plastic bags as best they could and trudged through 4 ½ feet of water to get to the shul.
When they arrived, they saw water gushing down the steps to the shul basement, where there is a catering hall and beis medrash. There are also two Torah Scrolls that are kept downstairs. Rabbi Winner and his sons Yisroel, 21, and Mendel, 15, ran down to the basement, where water was cascading down all three staircases leading to it, to rescue the sifrei Torah. Thank G-d, they managed to bring the sifrei Torah to safety through 4.5 feet of water and carried them upstairs, where the Winners remained throughout the night. The shul basement is currently inundated with 10 feet of water, which volunteers are trying to pump out.
Their Chabad Neshama Center one block further is not doing much better. From the outside, it looks like one big mud hole. The underground preschool is completely ruined and will need to relocate.
Rabbis Moishe Dovid Winner and Shimmy Silver continue to try to help other Brighton Beach residents who are stranded or otherwise in need. The beach eroded and there is not just water but also lots of sand and debris everywhere, which caused multi-car pile-ups all over Brighton Beach. Most buildings still have no electricity, so it is very difficult to communicate with residents.
The Chabad House of Manhattan Beach is majorly damaged too. Very strong current waters flooded the shul destroying the doors and walls in its track, throwing over all the furnishings like rags. Miraculously, the torahs survived! The Shliach, Rabbi Avrohom Winner is helping residents of Manhattan Beach through their unimaginable disaster. A beautiful and elegant community turned into an ugly mess. With many houses flooded through their basements and garages, many are turning to Chabad for support and advice at a time like this.
(Based on a article in the Hamodia- written by Debbie Stern)
TO HELP REBUILD CHABAD, click here:
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