Havoc from Hurricane in Brighton Beach

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rav_zushe_winner_brightonBrooklyn, NY- The Seabreeze Jewish Center, a shul and community center in the Brighton Beach area, has been severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The shul and rabbi’s residence are in proximity of the boardwalk and  suffered the brunt of the storm.

The hurricane surge and high tide carried the waters of the Atlantic Ocean into the Beth Hamidrash, catering hall, commercial kitchen and rabbi’s study filling them with fourteen feet of water demolishing everything. At the rabbi’s residence, the home of Rabbi Zushe Winner, the flood destroyed over a thousand seforim , furniture and appliances that were in the basement.

The night that Hurricane Sandy hit, Rabbi Winner and two sons remained at home like most residents of the neighborhood who stayed in their homes believing that there wouldn’t be real danger or damage. The rabbi wanted to be available to assist residents that may be stranded in the high rise buildings in case of a power outage. As the tide waters rose, eventually reaching five feet above street level, it was apparent that they couldn’t remain at home, so they moved next door to the more secure synagogue building walking chest high in water. Arriving at the shul, the rabbi’s sons, Yisrolik, 21, and Mendel, 15, rushed downstairs to rescue the Torah scrolls from the waters that started flooding the Beth Hamidrash.

The Seabreeze Jewish Center, under the leadership of Rabbi Winner, has been a leading outreach center touching the lives of hundreds of families in the Brighton Beach area. Presently they need emergency assistance, estimated at $400,000, to rebuild their facility and enable them to continue their exemplary work in the neighborhood. A Hurricane Relief Fund has been started for all those that want to assist. Contributions can be sent to – Seabreeze Jewish Center, 311 Seabreeze Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11224. For more info you can call 646 2969021.

{Andy Heller-Matzav.com Newscenter}


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