After Rita--Second Day

Volunteers arrived yesterday morning for a second day of clean-up. The Religious School/Rayner Center wing was cleaned so that Rayner can open in the morning. By now the sanctuary is a shell. The seats have been removed and the damaged ceiling has been torn out. Dryers and dehumidifiers are running all over the building. It is not exactly homey, but the shul does not look like a disaster area anymore.

A number of the kids helped clean debris from the playground. It is so clear that the think of Beth Shalom as home.

The damage to the shul was featured on the front page of the Advocate’s metro section. I am assuming that is how Mayor Holden learned of our tsuris. He paid a visit late in the afternoon. We all deeply appreciate his mentchlikeit.

While services will be at Jefferson Baptist for a bit, the plan is to have the social hall cleaned so that it can be used for the lunches on Rosh HaShanah.

There will be many more opportunities for volunteers in the coming weeks. Very soon we will need to move the seats back into the sanctuary and rebolt them to the floor. If the work continues to go well, we will be praying again in the sanctuary after the High Holidays. The place will have a rather industrial look for a while, but at least we will be home again.

Many blessings to all those who have been caring for the shul in these tiring and difficult days.