Teens salvage synagogue devastated by Sandy
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After donning their masks, volunteers, from left, Orli Weiss, Rebecca Cooper, Claire Singer, Tali Greenberg, Eva Nelson, and Jilly Gelman prepare to tear down damaged walls in the synagogue.
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January 23, 2013
The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life brought 12 Greater MetroWest teen volunteers to Far Rockaway, NY, on Dec. 27 for a Hurricane Sandy relief mission. The teens lent a hand at Congregation Shaare Zedek of Edgemere, which was devastated by the storm and remained flooded for eight weeks. The volunteers, after receiving training by the disaster response organization NECHAMA, donned masks, picked up squeegees and hammers, and set to work on restoring the synagogue.
They removed water from the sanctuary, took down damaged walls, and relocated the reserves of a kosher food pantry. The congregation’s rabbi told the group that the work they were doing was of the utmost importance during this time of need.
The program is part of ongoing efforts at The Partnership, the educational arm of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, to create Jewish service learning opportunities for teens. For information, contact Dara Tsuprun at 973-929-2963 or dtsuprun@thepartnershipnj.org or visit www.jteenmw.org.
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