Hurricane IRMA Update from Rabbi Asher Federman of Chabad St Thomas

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We cannot express enough how thankful and grateful we are for the support and encouragement we continue to receive during these difficult days.

We are working day by day with the natural setbacks and inherent challenges of the current situation. Your encouragement serves as emotional and spiritual “fuel” to power our determination and resilience to do what we can for our beloved island community.

Thank you!

Aside from dealing with the paralysis of two flat tires, yesterday brought some great news. United airlines kindly agreed to fly in much of the Houston container of supplies to help the Chabad relief efforts. It has arrived in Puerto Rico and is in transit to the island. We’ve also secured an additional pallet of meals, bringing the total to 2400 MRE meals, pallets of water, more generators, tarps and other vital supplies.

The generators, chainsaws etc. arrived yesterday from Puerto Rico! We are hoping to have one of our student Rabbi’s scour PR again for more generators next week!

The torrential rains yesterday were a major challenge for all those who have not yet been able to cover their roofs… and those who have other forms of damage to their homes.

A group of incredible volunteers in FL arranged for a few pallets of supplies to be flown into PR arriving today as well! Costco and other local stores donated some of the supplies.

Longer term the same group in Florida is putting together a 40 ft container (possibly 2) to be shipped down next week.

And perhaps the most exciting and vital of all… We have located a supplier of 400 generators of various sizes, and are in communication with a few extraordinarily generous people and organizations to either sponsor or subsidize them on a first come first serve basis for the island community. Please G-d, all falls in place, they will be shipped from the main land early next week.

During the evening we drove to various homes to drop off generators. The sheer joy and relief we encountered of being able to have a few running fans, refrigeration and water is indescribable.

It is difficult to express the eerie feeling of driving through the roads on our way back. The deafening silence of the curfew and the quieter darkness that is almost palpable on the roads.

We remain strong and hopeful. We get through this bigger and better. The flowers will yet bud.

Let us know if we can be of help in ANY way.

Please join us for Shabbos Services tomorrow at 1pm. We can all use the spiritual nourishment and community camaraderie.

Due tocurfew we are working hard to ensure that the community will have special permission to come out wednesday night for Rosh Hashana Dinner. We are scheduling full holiday dinners and services. Details to follow after shabbos.

Please cosider partnering with us. May the good deeds made possible through you be your reward and may you and yours be blessed with a happy, healthy, and sweet new year!

www.JewishVirginIslands.com/Donate

Latest news coverage:

http://nypost.com/2017/09/14/irma-damage-in-virgin-islands-a-humanitarian-crisis-survivor/

http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/3788136/jewish/Emergency-Airlift-from-Houston-Flotilla-from-Puerto-Rico-Deliver-Aid-to-St-Thomas.htm

Wishing you a dry and peaceful shabbos!

With love and gratitude,

Asher & Henya

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