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Jews Were Spared
In Oklahoma Blast

JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER

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Rabbi Shevitz: Keep praying.

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4 cyt.

he bomb shook buildings as
far as 100 miles away from
the Oklahoma City federal
building. Four miles away,
Rabbi Dan Shevitz thought the
movement was caused by a son-
ic boom.
At the time of the explosion,
the rabbi, a Detroit native, was
running late for the morning
minyan at his congregation,
Emanuel Synagogue in Okla-
homa City.
The thick black smoke dis-
proved his sonic-boom theory. Ra-
dio and television reports
confirmed that residents of a mid-
dle-American city, who felt so safe
and insulated, are no different
than the rest of the world.
When the nation learned of the
explosion, friends and relatives
of Oklahoma residents called
their loved ones. Edith Shevitz of
Farmington Hills tried to reach
her rabbi son. Henry Shevitz, of
Bloomfield Hills, also tried, but
phone lines were jammed. He fi-
nally made contact with his
brother through e-mail.
"There were no Jewish fatali-
ties or serious injuries," Rabbi
Shevitz said. "The Jewish com-
munity here was spared. We take
no particular pleasure in saying
that, but people are uttering their
thanks to God."
If the bomb had exploded on
the opposite side of the federal
building, the rabbi speculates
there would have been Jewish
burials. About a dozen Jewish
lawyers who worked on the south
side of the building could have
been killed if that area of the
building had been destroyed in-
stead of the north side.
Rabbi Shevitz lived in Detroit
until 1967. He was an active
member of Adat Shalom Syna-
gogue. He is one of two rabbis in
Oklahoma City, where the Jew-

ish population is 2,500, and one
of five rabbis in the state.
As long as rescue workers
search for bodies, there is little
the overabundance of volunteers
can do. The Jewish community
of Oklahoma City is working in
shifts to feed the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency
workers. The community is also
collecting funds and will be con-
tributing volunteers to help re-
build the day-care center
destroyed in the bombing.
Those who gathered at
Emanuel for the minyan and oth-
ers at the synagogue watched
television with horror as TV and
radio stations broadcast the
nightmare. The synagogue staff
was so shaken by last Wednes-
day's events, the shul closed ear-
ly.
"At first, everyone felt vulner-
able, especially when there was
a suspected Middle East connec-
tion," Rabbi Shevitz said.
In his Shabbat sermon, the
rabbi urged his congregants to
hold on to their astonishment.
"The first question people ask is,
why here in Oklahoma?" he said.
"It's not a good Jewish question
to ask because it means it's un-
derstandable when a bomb ex-
plodes in Jerusalem or Belfast or
Buenos Aires."

"Work in your own
community to ensure
the hatred and
madness don't
spread."

— Rabbi Dan Shevitz

Since the bombing, rabbis and
congregations from around the
world have been calling to say
they are praying for the people of
Oklahoma and are asking how
they can help.
"It's gratifying the Jewish com-
munity is thinking of us," he said.
"We need them to keep the liv-
ing and the dead in their
prayers."
The rabbi responds to callers
by asking for continued prayer,
financial assistance and "work-
ing in your own community to en-
sure the hatred and madness
don't spread," he said.
Donations can be directed to
the Oklahoma City Jewish Fed-
eration Disaster Relief Fund in
care of Emanuel Synagogue, 900
North West 47th St., Oklahoma
City, OK, 73118. El