Synagogue Faces Long Road to Recovery after Devastating Houston Flood

June 1, 2015

1 minute

The historic flooding that hit the Houston area on Tuesday dealt an especially hard blow to the city’s Jewish community. The United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston suffered extensive, significant damage in almost every area of the complex, as did many of the homes of its local congregants. The devastated synagogue is also home to the Goldberg Montessori School.

“It will take months to repair our spiritual home,” said Rabbi Barry Gelman. It will also take millions of dollars. Parts of the Meyerland area, including UOS, spent the early part of the week under up to four feet of water; and while the flood waters have receded, the recovery is only beginning.

For nearly 50 years, UOS has actively served as a community beacon for the Meyerland area residents, but now the synagogue is forced to turn to its neighbors for help. They’re raising funds to support not only the structural repairs needed on the buildings themselves, but they hope to offer a portion to some of their members who are in critical need. Max Reichenthal, UOS President and local business owner, said many of the more than 300 families who attend the synagogue received extensive damage to their homes, vehicles and belongings.

Reichenthal said UOS members have been extraordinarily comforted in their darkest hour by the outpouring of all manners of support they’ve received, not just from local synagogues, but from community organizations throughout the United States. The community is hopeful that donations will continue to come through the UOS website, www.uosh.org, to fund the relief effort. “Let us focus on repairing what was ruined and rededicating ourselves to what makes UOS so special: the community,” Rabbi Gelman said in a letter to his congregation. “After all, what is really special about us are the people that make up our community.”

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