With just a few days advance notice, a group of about 50 people from the Kansas City area — mostly from congregations Beth Israel Abraham & Voliner and Beth Torah — traveled to Joplin, Mo., Sunday, June 12, to assist with disaster relief efforts. The trip was organized by Tuvia Brander, a student at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) at Yeshiva University who is serving in June as a rabbinic intern at Congregation Beth Israel Abraham & Voliner, and Aaron Nielsenshultz of Beth Torah.
Brander has been in Kansas City since May 31 and he knew before he came that he wanted one of his projects here to be a trip to help the area devastated by the May 21 EF-5 tornado that has killed more than 150 people.
The group from Kansas City worked in cooperation with the American Red Cross and AmeriCorps. As per Red Cross policy, only volunteers ages 18 and older were allowed in the debris fields. Those people, Brander said, sorted debris following an established system where they separated things into a variety of categories including building supplies, home appliances, metal, vegetation and oil.
“The goal was to separate and bring the items within 10 feet of the curb so the collection trucks could come along and collect it,” Brander explained.
He noted that in the destroyed neighborhoods, some houses were built on cement slabs with no basements.
“Literally the slab was the only thing left on some of those houses,” he said.
The younger volunteers, and some adult supervisors, spent time doing other relief jobs including unloading and sorting donations or distributing donations.
Brander said he was thrilled with the response from the local community.
“It was short notice and there were a lot of things going on in the community (including the holiday of Shavuot), but I was very impressed that a lot of people called to learn about it,” Brander said. “I’m also thrilled that we were able to work with Beth Torah and other members of the Jewish community.”
Beth Torah’s Nielsenshultz was very impressed by those who volunteered.
“The volunteers that came did so with no hesitation at all. They were eager to help and very glad to be part of the trip. Once they got to Joplin, the volunteers were left speechless by the scope of the devastation. The volunteers were also delighted by the energy and organization of AmeriCorps and the Red Cross,” Nielsenshultz said.
Another delegation is going to Joplin Sunday, June 19, to deliver supplies collected in a drive organized by Mara Strom, blogger for Kosher on a Budget, as part of the Yesh Tikvah collection project. For more information you can reach Strom at .
“She’s collected tons and tons of stuff to take down there,” Brander said. “The bins at the shul here (BIAV) are constantly being filled.”
“The volunteers that came did so with no hesitation at all. They were eager to help and very glad to be part of the trip. Once they got to Joplin, the volunteers were left speechless by the scope of the devastation. The volunteers were also delighted by the energy and organization of AmeriCorps and the Red Cross,” Nielsenshultz said.
Another delegation is going to Joplin Sunday, June 19, to deliver supplies collected in a drive organized by Mara Strom, blogger for Kosher on a Budget, as part of the Yesh Tikvah collection project. For more information you can reach Strom at .
“She’s collected tons and tons of stuff to take down there,” Brander said. “The bins at the shul here (BIAV) are constantly being filled.”
Fundraising update
Since the Kansas and Missouri Tornado Relief Fund was established at the end of May following the devastating tornados in Joplin, Mo., and Reading, Kan., the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City has raised more than $101,000 for victims in both states.