BACKGR•
Flurry After
The Storm
Jews around the country are
hurrying to help those hurt by
Hurricane Andrew.
JAY LECHTMAN
Special to The Jewish News
F
or many Jews in the
hurricane-ravaged
communities of Home-
stead and Kendall, Fla., the
festival of Stikkot, more than
a month away, has taken on a
new and terrible significance
now.
For them, the time when
Jewish tradition commands
our people to dwell in tem-
porary shelters came Aug.
24, when their permanent
homes were destroyed by
Hurricane Andrew.
Jews throughout Florida
and the rest of the nation
have come to their aid so
that come Oct. 11, they
might have something to
celebrate.
"We were really spared,"
said Rabbi Edward Davis,
whose Hollywood, Fla.,
0
The federation has
collected and
distributed over
200 tons of food,
bottled water and
other supplies,
only
0
community suffered
100-110 mile-per-hour
winds, fallen trees and two
days without power. So his
Young Israel of Hollywood
congregation is working
with many others, under the
oversight of the Greater
Miami Jewish Federation
and the Jewish Community
Center, to collect food, baby
supplies and other essentials
for areas further south that
were hit harder by the
storm.
It's not uncommon to have
a few extra mouths to feed
for Shabbat, "thank God,"
said Rabbi Davis, who serv-
ed 35 for dinner last week.
Another local synagogue is
making plans to host a bar
mitzvah that might other-
wise be impossible — the
boy's own home and syn-
agogue were seriously
damaged in the disaster.
Five south Dade County
synagogues suffered damage
from the hurricane: Temple
Bet Shaira, Samu-el Or
Olam, Temple Shir Ami,
Temple Beth Or, and Temple
Bet Breira and one — the
Homestead Jewish Center —
was totally destroyed. Vol-
unteers salvaged Torahs and
other holy objects from the
debris, according to a Miami
federation statement.
"Volunteers, tractor
trailers full of relief supplies
and support have been filter-
ing through the Federation
to the south Dade area from
many south Florida Jewish
communities," said Jacob
Solomon, executive vice
president of the Greater
Miami Jewish Federation,
and himself a victim of An-
drew's devastation.
The federation has col-
lected and distributed over
200 tons of food, bottled
water and other supplies
through its Dave and Mary
Alper Jewish Community
Center in south Miami, a
Red Cross-designated relief
center.
Of particular concern has
been the community's large
elderly population. Two Jew-
ish housing facilities for the
elderly were damaged in the
storm, and the federation
has been serving 4,000
meals a day to seniors at
shelters in the area, as well
as sending volunteers and
hot kosher meals to the
home-bound.
At the same time, the na-
tional Orthodox and Conser-
vative movements, as well
as Hadassah, have set up
relief funds for hurricane
victims, as have individual
congregations and federa-
tions around the country.
The overwhelming re-
sponse has provided a little
joy among the seemingly
overpowering despair.
"This has made people feel
closer, more grateful," said
Rabbi Davis. "We're smil-
ing." ❑
A sailboat sits on the Rickenbacker Causeway between Miami and Key Biscayne.
Michigan Jewish Groups
To Aid Hurricane Victims
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
T
he board at Temple
Beth El in Flint
always has prohibited
solicitation of funds on the
High Holy Days.
This year will be an excep-
tion.
On erev Rosh Hashanah,
each prayer book at the
Reform temple will include
an envelope to mail funds to
Miami for hurricane relief.
Temple Beth El of Flint is
not alone in its efforts to
help victims of Hurricane
Andrew, one of the most
powerful tropical storms in
U.S. history. A week after
the storm ripped through
Florida's southern coast, an
estimated 250,000 people
remain homeless and tens of
thousands are without food.
The Red Cross and other
organizations are helping
victims in Louisiana, where
Andrew destroyed some
smaller communities. Area
temples, synagogues and
Jewish organizations are
raising money and serving
as collection depots for food
and clothing items.
Jewish communities in
south Florida have set up
drop-off sites for donations of
relief supplies such as food,
water, medical supplies and
building materials.
The supplies are being
delivered to the Greater
Miami Jewish Federation,
which is providing relief to
those affected by the hur-
ricane. The Council of Jew-
ish Federations, meanwhile,
is coordinating with Jewish
officials in Miami to assess
damage to the Jewish com-
munity, including commu-
nal organizations.
The Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan
Detroit is working through
CJF.
"We feel helpless," said
Miami Federation Cam-
paign Associate Marlene
_Waldfogel, who now is
'heading the hurricane relief
team. "The Jewish com-
munities of the Kendall and
south Miami areas were af-
fected more than we want to
believe."
Greater Miami Federation
officials are asking Mich-
igan residents who own
winter homes or condomin-
iums in the Miami area to
donate their residences for
temporary shelter for vic-
tims. For information, con-
tact Miriam Imerman at the
JCCouncil, 642-5393, or Ms.
Waldfogel in Miami, 305-
576-7401.
Ms. Waldfogel said dona-
tions and housing are espe-
cially needed. Groups have
collected sufficient supplies
of clothes, she said.
JCCouncil is also collec-
ting checks that will be
mailed to a special fund set
up by the Miami Federation.
Tax deductible checks can
also be mailed directly to the
Greater Miami Federation
Hurricane Relief Fund, 4200
Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL
33137.
Other groups, like Mazon,
the Jewish Response to
Hunger, and Hadassah, are
asking for donations to aid
hurricane victims. Mazon
will make a grant to be used
to create a delivery system
for distribution of food, sup-
plies, warehousing and
refrigeration, said Irving
Cramer, Mazon's executive
director.
"We also have talked to
rabbis to find out what
specific needs Jews have,"
Mr. Cramer said. "We want
Michiganians are
being asked to
donate their winter
residences for
temporary shelter.
to see where we can identify
areas of need and how we
can be most effective."
Hadassah this week cre-
ated the Andrew Relief
Fund.
"As an organization
dedicated to health care
around the world, Hadassah
is responding to the urgent
needs in south Florida for
food, shelter and medical
care," said Hadassah Presi-
dent Deborah Kaplan.
Checks for Hadassah
should be earmarked to the
Andrew Relief Fund and
mailed to 5030 Orchard
Lake Rd., West Bloomfield
48323.
On Labor Day, Temple
Israel of West Bloomfield
will collect food and clothing
items for Florida and Loui-
siana victims of the hur-
ricane. ❑
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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