The Wellesley-Weston Chabad basement was flooded with more than 3 feet of water

In the week since a massive flood devastated the Wellesley-Weston Chabad House, community members have rallied together to help clean up and rebuild. Dozens of community members donated their time to completely gut what was once the Chabad House’s finished basement, including several guest rooms, storage rooms, and the Rabbi and Rebbetzin’s offices.

“We’ve been touched by the great outpouring of support,” said Rabbi Moshe Bleich, “Unfortunately, we were forced to cross the sea a week early. We’re determined to part those waters and resume our mission of spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus.”

The Community Helps Clean Up

Young men take part in a big Mitzvah at the Wellesley-Weston Chabad House removing destroyed contents of the basement to the dumpster.

Volunteers from far and wide filled several dumpsters with damaged items and debris and covered the front lawn and backyard with objects they hoped to dry and salvage. “You might mistake it for a garage sale if not for the fact that everything is soaking wet,” said Yehoshua Bedrick, a long-time member of the Chabad congregation.

Wellesley-Weston Chabad dries possessions after flood

The Wellesley-Weston Chabad House hangs their possessions out to dry.

The floodwater damaged electronics, sofas, beds, desks, chairs, mattresses, Siddurim, Machzorim, Seforim, children’s clothing, tools, Shabbos and Yomim Tovim supplies, two freezers full of food for Pesach, and much more. “It was like Noah, without the ark,” said Ishay Grinberg, President of the Wellesley-Weston Chabad congregation. In addition to all the furnishings and supplies, the flood caused major structural damage. Because of the mold, the water-damaged walls and floors had to be completely removed.

Local Rabbi Lends a Hand

Rabbi Joel Sissenwine of Temple Beth Elokim, who leads Newsweek’s most vibrant synagogue in the United States, personally came to help with the reconstruction effort.

Rabbi Joel Sissenwine of Temple Beth Elokim helps Rabbi Bleich of Wellesley-Weston Chabad House with a water-logged mattress.

Sissenwine, who studies weekly with Rabbi Bleich, brought along with him several members of the Beth Elokim softball team, which is the primary rival to the Wellesley-Weston Chabad Shluggers. After wrapping tefillin, the community members spent hours removing debris, salvaging whatever they could. As a token of appreciation for their efforts, Rabbi Bleich distributed some of the rescued shmurah matzah to all of the volunteers.

When asked if they would still be hosting the Pesach Seders, which typically draw over 100 people, Rabbi Bleich quickly responded with his trademark, “No doubt!”

Wellesley-Weston Chabad House Prayer books, wet from flood waters, open to the sun's rays.

Though the Chabad House was insured, they are unfortunately not covered in the event of “excess rain.” Despite the incredible generosity of the community and Jews around the world, the Chabad House is far from raising the $50,000 necessary to complete the reconstruction effort.