It was so cold the night of Jan. 6 that the pipes at Friendship Circle of Cleveland froze and burst.
When Rabbi Yossi Marozov arrived at the facility on Gates Mills Boulevard in Pepper Pike in the early morning of Jan. 7, the water was ankle-deep – when it wasn’t frozen solid.
“There was a huge mess in the boiler room and the kitchen with water all over the place,” Marozov said Jan. 8, the Wednesday the unusual chill began to loosen its grip. “Lots of it turned to ice right away because it was so cold.
“We’re a little more under control,” he said, but Jan. 7 was “an extremely hectic day. Apparently we lost power for a short while overnight during the intense cold.”
Friendship Circle provides programs for children with special needs and their families in Cleveland’s eastern suburbs. All programs were cancelled Jan. 7, and the building was closed Jan. 8 as well.
“The building was basically not operable for children to play in,” Marozov said. “But with alternative heat, we will be back in full operation (on Jan. 9).”
Marozov said Friendship Circle has been given a rough estimate of $10,000 to replace the damaged boiler unit. He was still getting estimates Jan. 8.
“We don’t know yet if it will be covered by insurance,” he said. “We have very good insurance, but I don’t know if it’s worth it to ask to be reimbursed.”
The bursting of the water pipes triggered a fire detector, Marozov said. By 6 a.m. Jan. 7, the Pepper Pike fire and police departments had arrived at the building, and Marozov was contacted.
“By that time half our building was frozen,” he said. “We started to clean up whatever we could clean up.
“As soon as we finished that job, another pipe busted in the boiler room, and when we came back (to that room), there was even more water than in the morning. This was the main water pipe that carries water to most of our building, so at that point we had to close all water in the building. The real problem was we didn’t have heat in that part of the building.”
As of Jan. 8, the water pipes were fixed and water was restored in the building, Marozov said.
“We were able to bring warmth in the boiler room by around noon by closing vents and bringing in alternative heaters,” he said. “Now we’re left with a big part of the building not getting regular heat.”
Marozov said he didn’t know how old the boiler system was in the building, which dates to 1965. It is the former home of Congregation Bethaynu. Friendship Circle relocated there from South Euclid after Bethaynu closed in 2011.
“We’re in great spirits,” he said. “It was a bit of a challenge (Jan. 7), but it’s all a blessing to be able to move forward to get the right people in and fix it and make it better than before. We have a great team putting it back in shape.”
To make a donation and help keep their doors open, visit friendscleveland.com
My aunt and uncle!!!!!
Hi Yossi & Estie!!!!!