Miami Chabad holds prayer service as condo collapse death toll hits 9
As search and rescue efforts continue for the third day in Surfside, Florida, The Shul of Bal Harbour hosted a special prayer service, holding out hope for the 150 people still missing.
By HALEY COHENUpdated: JUNE 29, 2021 00:54Emergency personnel work at the scene of a partial building collapse in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S., June 24, 2021.(photo credit: REUTERS/MARCO BELLO)
As rescue teams continued their search on Sunday for survivors of the Thursday morning collapse of the 12-story beachfront apartment building in Surfside, Florida, the Shul of Bal Harbour hosted a special prayer service, Chabad's website announced. The Sunday afternoon service, taking place just north of Miami Beach, was held as officials confirmed the ninth victim found in the rubble of the crushed condominium. Authorities and loved ones expressed their fear that the death toll will continue to rise, as over 150 people still remain unaccounted for.It also coincided with the commemoration of the Jewish fast day of 17 Tammuz. Prayers from the Book of Psalms were said for healing of the individuals and families impacted by Thursday's tragedy and for the protection of the rescue crews, which include Israel's National Rescue Unit who arrived Sunday morning to assist search and rescue teams. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," read an announcement of the event, posted on Chabad.org. "May Hashem comfort and console them at this sad time." For the last three days, the synagogue, which is the Miami-area Chabad-Lubavitch center opened by Rabbi Sholom and Chanie Lipskar in 1981 and has since been the epicenter of the community's Jewish life, has doubled as a headquarters of comfort for now-homeless survivors and families holding out hope for a miracle, according to Chabad.org. It is currently serving as a base for grief counselors, Hatzalah first responders, and has hosted over 350 people for Shabbat meals. The Shul said that their supply of emergency materials has grown so abundant that the Red Cross has made use of their stockpiled items.
