where many boats have gone missing, and they just so happened to come here before going over there. Strange how life works sometimes." Kristin's mom, Katherine Sheiko, responded with her own posting: "One day, one hour, one second can make all the difference in one's life. We are so grateful that you are all safe and at the same time so saddened by the awful destruction of the lives of so many thou- sands of people." Laya said: "Many friends waited days to hear from friends over there, and some still have not heard anything. The thought of how close we are to what happened is still frightening. Not to mention the threat of disease which they say may begin to spread throughout Asia. I am so grateful that we are all safe on the east coast, and that all the people I know that were around those areas are all safe as well. "It really puts life into perspective and makes you appreciate everything, know- ing you are only a few hours from some- thing so tragic, and there are people all around you talking about friends they still can't get a hold of," Laya said. "Since the tsunami, every time the waves seem bigger than usual my heart skips a beat, and every time I look out to the ocean I can't imagine what it must have been like to witness a 30-foot wave coming full speed from the dis- tance, nor do I want to." In spite of what could have been, as the group gets ready for their next stop — a short visit to Malasian Borneo — Laurie knows the best place for them right now isn't home. "Fred and I will be meeting the four of them in a couple of weeks," Laurie said. And despite the fears of some, after what this group has been through, everything is relative. "I can't wait until they're all safe with us — in Israel," she said. ❑ Chabad In Thailand As the only Jewish service agency in the country dealing with this catastro- phe, our offices and staff in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ko Samui have put everything else aside, working 24/7 to assist those in need and comfort," wrote Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, executive director of Chabad Thailand in a recent letter. "Thailand's three Chabad Houses, staffed by six full-time rabbis and 12 rabbinical trainees, were immediately converted into crisis centers where dazed survivors are receiving medical help, free meals and funds for new clothing, placing free international phone calls and [using the Internet to contact] their loved ones to inform them of their whereabouts, and being helped in their efforts to locate their friends as of yet unaccounted for." Chabad volunteers are visiting those hospitalized and providing them with kosher food and any other help needed. Chabad staff is providing counseling to Want To Help? • Contributions can be made to the B'nai Brith Disaster Relief Fund, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 304, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. • Council of Orthodox Rabbis, 16947 W. Ten Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075. Checks may be made out to Council of Orthodox Rabbis Relief Fund.The COR also suggests the recita- tion of Psalms 20, 91,121,123, and 142. • Zaka Rescue and Recovery can take donations by calling (877) ZAKA-911 or by accessing the Web site at: wwwzakausa.org A team of ZAKA res- cue and recovery workers already are the survivors who are in a state of emo- tional trauma and have fielded several thousand phone calls from Israel, trying to help families locate their relatives. "The Israeli Consul in Thailand, Yakov Dvir, asked for our help in locat- ing hundreds of Israelis who are strand- ed in the ravaged seaside towns of Thailand, which we are doing to the best of our abilities," wrote Rabbi Kantor, who is the nephew of Rabbi Avrohom Weinberg of Sara Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center in West Bloomfield. 'As the initial efforts of search and rescue wind down over the next week, the grim work of identifying bodies and counseling bereaved families will unfor- tunately keep the Chabad staff fully occupied for the foreseeable future. We are also expecting the stream of sur- vivors of this natural disaster appearing at our doors in Bangkok to increase, placing the burden on us to clothe, feed and accommodate them as they slowly try to make their way home. "The initial estimate of expenses incurred to our organization as a result of this tsunami already runs into tens of thousands of dollars for food, clothing, shelter, medical expenses and trans- portation to and from the disaster zones." ❑ For updates on the tsunami aftermath, see JNOnline.com For 24-hour emergency phone contact, call (661) 837 7618 or e-mail: rabbi@jewishthailand.com Checks may be mailed to: Chabad of Thailand 96, Thanon Rambuttri, Bangkok Thailand 10200 (For U.S. tax deductibility, write checks to American Friends of Chabad of Thailand), or donate online at: www.chabadthailand.corn working in Thailand. Jewish Relief • American Jewish Committee Tsunami Relief Fund donations may be made by accessing the Web site at: • Orthodox Union donation checks may be made payable to OU Disaster Relief Fund and mailed to: Orthodox Union, 11 Broadway, NY, NY 10004, with a notation on the envelope reading, "OU Asian Relief Fund." Credit card dona- tions may be made online at: ou.org https://ww‘v.ajc.orgissl/contribute_ tsunami_fund.asp or by sending checks payable to the American Jewish Committee Tsunami Fund, to AJC Tsunami Fund, 165 E. 56th St., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022. AJC will absorb administrative costs. • World Jewish Aid's tsunami relief fund donations may be made online at: www.workljewishaicl.org.uk or by mail at: World Jewish Aid, Freepost WC1152, London NW1 2YW World Jewish Aid is a division of World • MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger donations may be made by accessing the Web site at: www.mazon.org or by mailing a check to: MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, do Southeast Asian Recovery project, 1990 S. Bundy Drive, Suite 260 Los Angeles, CA 90025. TENDER 271 WEST MAPLE DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM 248.258.0212 Monday-Saturday 10-6 Thursday Evenings 9 Sunday 12-5 Open a TENDER Charge Today 11 7 2005 920880