It’s been 24 days since Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica with record-smashing force — a 252-mph gust was recorded during the storm, making it the strongest winds ever documented on Earth. Montego Bay, the center of Jamaica’s tourism, was hit hard, and the Chabad House took a direct blow.
For three weeks, the Chabad House has been functioning with no electricity and no running water. The Chabad House’s damage, which includes blown-out windows, flooded rooms, destroyed HVAC and plumbing equipment, and solar panels thrown off the roof, is climbing toward one million dollars. They are grateful for their diesel generator that keeps the Chabad House’s lights on — even though it costs more than $2,300 per week just to maintain the most basic functionality.
At the same time, calls for help keep coming in from all over the island. In this past week alone, Chabad got messages from people stuck in the Blue Mountains, a woman stranded in Guava Ridge in urgent need of assistance following landslides, families with no water and elderly individuals with no access to food. These are arriving day and night, each one asking the same thing: Chabad, can you help us?
*After the storm, many institutions have closed, including the U.S. Consular Agency in Montego Bay which has suspended operations due to the damage and power loss they sustained. A few locals in the community cynically joked that while the embassies have closed, the Chabad “consulate” stays open. In fact, they have continued operating nonstop since the hurricane, with the generator humming, and the staff and volunteers going out every day with food, water, baby supplies, hygiene items, tarps, and medicine.
The stories in the days since the hurricane have been constant. People walking into the Chabad House overwhelmed, parents with no formula for their kids, families whose roofs were torn off, and individuals who simply need a place to breathe for a moment. Even as the Chabad House itself struggles to function, they continue to serve as a lifeline for so many others.
Adding to the challenge, shortly after the storm Chabad of Jamaica’s social media accounts were disabled, preventing them from sharing updates about what’s happening on the ground. This makes it very hard to get people the info they need and to fundraise at the time it’s needed.
Last week at the International Conference of Shluchim, the shliach from Jamaica poured out his heart, sharing what the community has been living through. Thousands of fellow Shluchim and supporters listened in deep silence — taking in the hurricane’s terror, the moments of raw fear, the open miracles, and the exhausting days that followed. And in sharing his story, he wasn’t asking for sympathy — he was inviting everyone to turn the inspiration in that room into something tangible. To let that feeling become the support and strength that will help his community rebuild what was lost.
Right now, the focus is survival. Tourism is expected to drop this winter by over 50% from normal, and winter is the main season that keeps the Chabad House financially afloat. The months ahead will be extremely challenging, and they are focusing on the basics — keeping the generator running, repairing the damage, and continuing to help the people who depend on Chabad every day.
To those who have visited Jamaica or who want to help a fellow Jewish community get back on its feet, they encourage you to help in any way possible. Every donation, every share, every act of support makes a real difference for a Chabad House that has given everything it has — and is still giving more.
Even in normal times, Chabad Jamaica works hard to cover its monthly budget — and now, after Hurricane Melissa, the needs are so much greater. If you’re able to step up and help us rebuild stronger, it would mean the world to our community.
Please support Chabad of Jamaica’s rebuilding efforts at jewishjamaica.com/melissa
