Family of 10 loses everything in flooding
Donation protected
Picture this:
A young Jewish family, sleeping peacefully in their beds on the last night of their holiday. Their serenity abruptly broken when what was meant to be a holiday of joy and happiness, turned into nightmare. Water pours into the house, from both the front and backyard. The babies, still sleeping in their pack-n-plays, are scooped up, seconds before the water covers the places their heads rested only moments before. Frantically, they hurriedly throw whatever clothing is in arms reach; desperately racing against time. Time which they do not have to escape this unprecedented threat.
The children cry, asking their father as their mother carries two in her arms, one hanging on her back, “Abba, are we going to die?” Though tired from the long hot days, he pushes himself through the water. ‘How did it get so high?’ he asks his wife. Aside from the babies, she is also carrying two garbage bags of clothing. She realized she forgot the babies bottles in their rush out the door. She doesn’t know what clothing she grabbed, or if anything will fit everybody. For sure, not all of them will even have clean socks or underwear. Much less their yom tov suits or dresses.
The water is now chest deep. This is not the Dania Canal! This is the street! They can’t see where the sidewalk ends or where the ravine begins! One of the older children points out a sparking transformer. Panic begins to creep in to their minds. If a wire falls, this may become their final resting place.
Sounds like the start of a thrilling novel or movie, doesn’t it?
This was the real life experience of one of our local Hollywood families on the last night of Pesach.
As most families lay comfortably in their beds, or enjoying the last licks of a festive se’uda, these two parents and their ten children, the youngest not yet two, packed a single garbage bag. They grabbed whatever clothing and necessities they could in the short precious minutes they had. This unprecedented storm, one the locals of 40 years said they had never seen the likes of, took their home.
Even though Peach was not over, the father frantically called 911, begging the police, or anyone, for rescue from the storm. Their dismissive response was all the answer he received.
Help was not coming.
He recited Shema, and begged his Father in Heaven for a miracle.
A neighbor found them struggling against the current, and picked them up in his truck. He too was soon stopped by the watery onslaught. They were back on foot again in chest deep waters. After a 45 minute journey, they banged down the door of a friend, normally only five minutes away! He offered his one available bedroom for them to sleep in, and although most slept on the floor, they all slept, exhausted from the trial they just fought their way through.
Now, we turn to you.
Their help.
Their miracle.
These last few days, have been tiring to say the least. They have bounced from Chabad House, to AirBNB, to friend’s homes. The family is split because no-one has enough room to house them all together. Since yom tov, their insurance has informed them that they are unwilling cover the damage. To add insult to injury, the father recently lost his business before the storm, so there is no steady income.
This family has lost nearly everything they have.
There is more than $100,000 of damage to their home and an immeasurable loss of their hard earned belongings. Children’s treasures are now gone, waterlogged, and destroyed forever.
Some things cannot be replaced. But at least we can do our best to put a roof over their heads, and walls around them to secure their safety.
Please donate whatever you can. There is no vacation to be had. No new sports car to buy. Every dollar will be spent on replacing children’s clothing, buying food, and replacing the home they lost.
Attached is just a small piece of the nightmare they have endured.
Thank you for your generosity.
May Hashem reward and repay everyone tenfold, kind enough to help out.
Fundraiser started by the eldest daughter of the family, all donations received will go directly to the family so they can begin rebuilding their home, and afford temporary living, food, clothes and other necessities.
Organizer
Rebecca Bahar
Organizer
Fort Lauderdale, FL