$50K Shul Down the Drain

By Tamar Runyan, Chabad.org

Heavy downpours and flooding has once again plagued the tropical resort of Koh Samui, Thailand, forcing the cancellation of all flights at the island’s international airport. With nowhere to go, residents are stranded in their homes, while tourists pray from their hotel rooms for the rain to let up. Many buildings’ first floors are now underwater.

The city’s Chabad-Lubavitch center is no exception. Having just finished a $50,000 renovation after floods last November destroyed electrical equipment, furniture, books and computers, Rabbi Menachem Mendel and Sara Hinda Goldshmid find themselves inundated once more.

“The Chabad House is covered with water,” said the rabbi. “When it started raining yesterday, we took out what we could.”

By all accounts, the weather came quickly. Rough seas, storms, and unseasonably cold temperatures now hold a grip on Thailand, and more turbulent weather is in the forecast.

Along with the closure of the airport, ferry service to and from Koh Samui has been interrupted, The Bangkok Post reported. And several hundred tourists are reportedly stranded on islands at Similan National Marine Park in the Andaman Sea.

Goldshmid said that he managed to remove his center’s precious Torah scrolls before their cabinet was overtaken by rising water. With his family staying on a higher floor of a nearby hotel, he’s seeing what he can do to help members of the local Jewish community, including the many Israeli backpackers who flock to the area every year.

This past Friday night, about 160 people joined his family for a Sabbath dinner.

“We are seeing what we can distribute to those who are stranded,” said Goldshmid.

As for the Chabad House, the rabbi said he cannot yet assess the extent of the damage.

He stated grimly: “It’s impossible to go in.”