Long Beach rises above the storm

Long Beach may still be reeling from the thrashing of Hurricane Sandy, but the Young Israel of Long Beach, spared from serious water damage, was and is an island of aid in the midst of the devastation there.

“The reality is the Young Israel did not suffer flooding,” said the Rav of the Young Israel of Long Beach, Rabbi Dr. Chaim Wakslak. He noted that there was flooding in the sub-basement of the mikveh and they lost power and heat, but, citing S’yatta D’Shmaya (Heavenly Help) “nothing was destroyed. The Young Israel quickly became the center point of the entire community,” he explained.

In a diverse community of some 10,000 Jews and various synagogues and two Jewish schools, the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach and the Mesivta of Long Beach, the Jewish community was hit hard by the storm. “The kosher butcher was severely flooded,” noted Wakslak. “All the stores that served the Jewish community were closed and not operational.” They are all along Park Avenue.

He described the Young Israel’s efforts to assist the broader community. “Initially,” stressed Walslak, “there was no generator. We used candles. Tuesday morning after the storm, right away we had ten people for the minyan. We usually daven at 6:30 am; we had the minyan at 8 am. No one was going anywhere anyway. From that point on, we never missed a minyan. We suspended the daf yomi, because of the cold in the building and it was dark, but we resumed it last Sunday (November 11th). By the Thursday after the storm, (the shul) got a generator; Yehuda and Rivka Bohan gave up the generator in their home for the shul.” None of the other synagogues in the neighborhood were functioning; other shuls were welcomed and joined with the davening at the Young Israel.

They started bringing in meals, “originally from Brachs,” said Wakslak. “People came to daven and then eat the meals. I was going to Brooklyn during the day, and restaurants and caterers in Brooklyn donated. Every evening we brought in hot meals. Others donated breakfast.” Rabbi Wakslak is also clinical director of The Hebrew Academy for Special Children (HASC) center in Boro Park and Flatbush and traveled in to work every day, davening every morning and mincha/maariv every evening in the Young Israel of Long Beach.

They set up three large spotlights with the generator in the below ground level, downstairs Beit Midrash/social hall that was untouched by the storm surge and the sewer backup. On the first Shabbat after the storm, about 40 people came, with no heat, just the light powered by generator. They ate together. “It was like being in the tayvah (Noah’s Ark),” said Rabbi Wakslak. “In a haven, a cocoon, protected. Outside it was dark.” Inside it was Shabbat with a full seudah (feast), with fish, kugel, chicken, challah. “Everything. It was wonderful. There was so much food the State Police came in and ate with us as well. Not only Jews but people from the neighborhood ate and had hot food. It was a very special Shabbos, very hartzig. It was like an oasis; we sang zemiros (songs).” He said that everyone speaks about that Shabbat, how they then went out into the street to go back home in the pitch blackness of the night, unable to carry flashlights since it was Shabbat and the eruv was destroyed. During the day, after Shacharit and lunch, they davened mincha early and ate seudah shlishit so people wouldn’t have to walk to and from home. Rabbi Wakslak stressed the achdut, togetherness, unity, that brought people together and that people felt. The other rabbonim in the community at the meals spoke and now others got up to speak, each saying how important was this sense of community, how they lingered at the meals and just getting together was very positive. Other Rabbis in the community from the other shuls helped as well.

People began bringing clothing, supplies and started a relief fund and understood that the shul was the place to be if you needed anything, said Wakslak. The cell phones didn’t work so there was no communication. Rabbi Wakslak sent out emails writing what was happening “bureaucratic and practical. What was more important were the divrei Torah and divrei chizuk. People looked for information, it was a very powerful and useful tool; it gave the status of the community, with updates, which stores opened up, the status of the mikve.” It goes out to about 600 people.

Long Beach residents reported seeing the howling winds whipping trees and water rising near the Long Beach Bridge in the early afternoon on the Monday of the storm. People were seen helplessly standing in waist high water. Power went out at 6 pm. Those who stayed in their homes watched the storm surge at high tide with rivers of water running through the streets from the ocean to the bay. “It was awesome and frightening,” recounted one resident. “The waters rose two or three feet in the streets and cars moved as the waters washed over them. Eerily, lights could be seen in some of the cars; as the cars were overcome by water, the electrical system would short and the lights would go on for a brief time.” When sea water flooded the sewage treatment plant, the water supply was shut down and running water for toilets, dishwashing, drinking or bathing was unavailable for days after. As the waters receded, the sewers backed up, bringing toxic waste into homes. Power was out. Water was out. Cell phone service was out. Many lost cars to the flooding. Many elderly residents were stuck in their homes without heat, food, water, electricity.

The City of Long Beach set up distribution centers for bottled water and food. Rite Aid Drug company at the Waldbaum’s Plaza mall on Park Avenue distributed Poland Spring Water bottles to anyone who came. The final water advisories were lifted late last week and water there is again safe to be used.

The first Sunday after the storm some 500 volunteers came to help from Boston, Passaic, West Hempstead and the West and East sides of Manhattan, as well as other places. Residents said that it was “overwhelming and heartwarming, was a huge chesed, saving them substantial money.” One man said that he had 20 volunteers cleaning his basement. He said he was “very, very grateful.”

Rabbi Perry Schafler,a school and clinical social worker, lives in Long Beach with his family and saw the devastation and the aftermath first hand. But what most moved him was the way the community came together to help each other. “So many of us were moved and inspired by the incredible displays of ahavat yisrael, Jewish unity, volunteerism and generosity that went across all denominational and geographic boundaries. Jews of all stripes, affiliations and backgrounds came together with YILB and Wakslak at the helm, the fearless indefatigable captain of the ship, left no person uncared for, and worked tirelessly and creatively to try to address every human need, great and small.

“This storm highlighted true religious and spiritual leadership, partnering with Hashem to care for the physical and material needs of each person, showing commitment to davening, learning and minyan, making the shul a center of shelter, comfort and recovery; a pillar for all in the community. Maintaining a sense of hope, and working to rebuild homes, lives and spirits. An incredible kiddush Hashem, such that the City of Long Beach prioritized an early power line directly down Long Beach Road to the YILB because of the incredible work the shul was doing for the entire community. This was real kiruv.

“I think there is no one who was in Long beach during those days whose heart was not touched by the unity, love, care and selfless devotion shown by Rabbi Wakslak and so, so many others during those weeks.

“The devastation in Long Beach was immense, saddening, overwhelming; the darkness, the cold, the sense of loneliness, isolation and destruction could have felt overwhelming, until one walked into the YILB, lighted be a generator with five gallons of gas each day from the city, with comaraderie, cheerfulness, warmth of spirit, with warm food, supplies and clothing for anyone who needed, Jew and gentile alike. Then Shabbat as one community, all shuls together, one minyan and meals together for all. Rabbi Wakslak sat… with the congregation… and the other rabbonim… and said, that our shul is now your shul for as long as you need it. Altogether truly, something to see and learn from....a powerful, healing and growing experience and one not to be forgotten by all who were touched by it...”

“It’s going to take a long time,” assessed Wakslak. He listed the work ahead: ripping out sheet rock, flooring, heating and electrical systems and on a larger scale for stores, shuls, yeshivas, apartment buildings, senior citizens residences. He noted that Long Beach Hospital was damaged and a military hospital was set up temporarily. “The streets are filled with sand, garbage is piled on each side of the street like kriyat Yam Suf (the splitting of the Red Sea). It will take a while to even get to a modicum of normalcy. Right now the shul is back to two minyanim in the morning, the shiurim are back in place. The meals in the shul are open to the community.” As of last Sunday Shop Glatt Mart, Life’s a Bagel and Country Boy Bakery have reopened.

“I think it was quite a statement,” added Schafler. “The beach washed away, boardwalk in ruins, city hall is down, national guard taking the place of police, but the Young Israel is running - not one minyan is missed, the shul is a center of life and recovery.”