RNSP Remembers Superstorm Sandy

By Sheya Gold

When Sholem Klein and his fellow coordinators established the fledgling Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol twelve years ago, they had no idea that just two years later the organization would face its greatest challenge. Superstorm Sandy tested the faith and the fortitude of all those who were affected by its massive wave of devastation. But it also tested the grit, the courage, the skill, and the determination of the Shomrim organization, which somehow managed to hold things together even as the floodwaters were wreaking havoc. RNSP is the local Far Rockaway-Five Towns community Shomrim organization. Its three coordinators, Sholem Klein, Shmuly Kassover, and Elkanah Adelman, oversee about 60 volunteer members who offer their assistance whenever there is a need, day or night. During the Sandy crisis, they were working nonstop for three weeks straight under very difficult and challenging conditions.

As Sandy made its way towards the area, local authorities were concerned, and a mandatory evacuation order was issued. But some community members were unconvinced and didn’t want to leave. Additionally, there were significant concerns about looting and mayhem. RNSP works closely with local police and were called early on to assist with the evacuation efforts. “People told us they didn’t want to leave,” Sholem remembers, “because they were worried about their belongings. So we promised them that we would stay behind and patrol the area

24/7.” Only then, did many residents agree to leave the area. Hours later, there was total chaos. The night of the storm was terrifying. Power went out in the area, and there was no means of communication except through the RNSP radio system. At times, Hatzolah, 911, and the police department were not accessible. Some police officers were trapped in high water. “We came in with a pickup truck and brought them to the police station,” says Sholem. “We were essentially the only emergency response team that was operating that first night.” The first order of business was saving lives and reaching stranded people. “People were trapped in their homes or in their cars,” Sholem recalls. “We

brought them to higher floors and to safer locations. We broke into cars to let them escape. Using boats and trucks and even jet-skis in some cases, we must have rescued about one hundred thirty people that night. “The first night was scary,” Sholem adds. “We were afraid for the neighborhood, and we were afraid for our own lives. Trees were falling. The electricity went out, and it was pitch dark but that turned out to be a blessing because it meant the wires were dead.” In the morning, the weary RNSP members began to assess the situation. “People started calling us to check on their loved ones. Our hotline was working because we were hooked up to a generator system. We were asked to check on family members and friends who were home with no means of communication. We started transferring people to different communities, and we started providing food.” Food was a huge issue for stranded residents and so was dry and warm clothing. Local organizations rose to the occasion and helped to provide truckloads of sweaters and jackets. “Volunteers stepped in and cooked soup for us and for those who remained shivering in their homes,” Sholem recalls. It warmed their bodies and their souls. RNSP never forgot its promise to those who trusted them to patrol the area. Looting was common in other neighborhoods hit hard by Sandy, but not in Rockaway and Nassau. “Our command center was operating 24/7,” Sholem remembers, “even on Shabbos, when we hired non-Jews who were paid by the JCC to man the patrol. We managed to keep the looters away for about four weeks straight.”

“We grew up believing that Torah is everything. And here we were burying so many of them. It was very traumatizing for us.”

Perhaps the greatest tragedy was yet to come. Early on, shul officials concerned about their sifrei Torah began calling RNSP, asking for their help. When members managed to arrive at local shuls, they were shocked by what they discovered. “We saw shuls under ten or fifteen feet of water,” Sholem remembers. “In one case, we found an aron kodesh floating in the water in Belle Harbor. It was horrifying.” Coordinators contacted members of the Kiryas Joel Fire Department, requesting backup. “They came with special equipment which helped us pump the water out of the shuls so that we can get to the Torahs,” Sholem says. Sifrei Torah from communities like Bayswater, Belle Harbor, Far Rockaway, and the Five Towns were brought to safety. While some were salvageable, sadly, there were many that were too waterlogged to be saved. The sifrei Torah were carefully examined by Rabbi Akiva Oppen who determined which were still usable. All the sifrei Torah were brought to the main headquarters of Chesed Shel Emes in Brooklyn and were stored there for several months until nineteen of them were buried after a massive and meaningful community levaya. Hundreds joined the procession of cars that drove to Liberty, NY, where the sifrei Torah were buried.

Sholem still shudders when he remembers those awful moments. “We grew up believing that Torah is everything,” he says. “And here we were burying so many of them. It was very traumatizing for us.” The entire experience, says Sholem, changed his life. “It was a tremendous challenge, and we had to rise to the occasion. We helped anyone and everyone, no matter what their nationality. Some of us were on call for days. We didn’t shower, we didn’t see our families, we barely ate or slept. We were on the front line, and the community was relying on us.”

How did they deal with the trauma and stress when it was all over? Clearly, it wasn’t easy. “We still get together sometimes, and we schmooze about it,” Sholem says. “We remember the stories and we talk about what happened. It’s healthy for us.” Sholem acknowledges that RNSP couldn’t have done it themselves.

“We had tremendous assistance from Shomrim organizations across the area. They came from Flatbush, Williamsburg, Crown Heights, Staten Island, New Square, Lakewood, and even as far as Baltimore. Other local organizations were also working nonstop on behalf of the community, including Achiezer and Hatzalah, as well as the JCC.” Of course, says Sholem, none of this could happen without the selfless commitment of the women who were left to fend for themselves and their families during a major crisis. Some of them hadn’t seen their husbands for days at a time.

The community is fortunate to have these organizations working on their behalf. They are the backbone of the community, and too often they are taken for granted.

“The next time you see a volunteer in the street or at a simcha,” says Sholem, “give him a pat on the back and thank him. Just like you, he has a job and a family and somewhere he would like to be. But when that phone rings and help is needed, he drops everything and is happy to assist. “Because that’s what he signed up for and that’s why he made the commitment.”

To contact the RNSP 24-hour hotline, call 516-858-7300.