Our Crisis Support System at the Scenes & Behind the Scenes
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Misaskim Matters VOLUME #1 ISSUE #1 Our Crisis Support System At The Scenes & Behind The Scenes DAVID POLLACK, JCRC MISASKIM IN ACTION page 2 DAVID POLLACK, JCRC MISASKIM IN ACTION BUILDING BRIDGES MISASKIM COORDINATES MEETINGS WITH LOCAL AND STATE AGENCIES Once again, Misaskim bridged represented by: Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Young community, local and state agencies together Israel’s Executive Director; Rabbi David by coordinating a meeting to promote a Pollack of the Jewish Community Relations better understanding of Misaskim’s pivotal Councils; Rabbi Dovid Cohen, CEO of role in the community. Attendees included: Hatzolah; Rabbi Berish Freilich, Special NYS Department of Homeland Security, Assistant to NYS Police Superintendent’s represented by Director Thomas G. Donlon, Office; Rabbi Mendel Kanarek from Yeshiva Chief of Staff James Sherry, and Special Ohr Hameir of Peekskill, and Rabbi Assistant to Deputy Secretary of Public Mordechai Gobioff of Chai Lifeline. Safety and Homeland Security Seny Tavers; NYS Dept. of Health; NYS Office of The meeting began with a tour of Emergency Management; NYPD Police Misaskim’s sophisticated equipment and the Commissioner’s Office; NYPD Assistant Emergency Operation Center, which was an Chief Joseph Fox of Patrol Boro Brooklyn enlightening introduction to Misaskim’s South; several local precinct commanders; services. Participants then watched a NYPD Counter Terrorism Division; Chief PowerPoint presentation, further detailing the Robert Lawson of New Jersey’s Police vital community work of Misaskim, the need Department, and Rockland County Sheriff’s for these services, and the sensitivities of Office. Jewish organizations were our community. Afterwards, a speaker explained to the officials that Misaskim, along with several other page 3 DAVID POLLACK, JCRC MISASKIM IN ACTION community agencies, such as Hatzolah, summarized the impression of the attendees: represent a small army. These two-thousand “If all the places we’ve gone to would get to highly trained soldiers, our community’s see what these organizations offer to their volunteers, are ready to be dispatched at a community, …and would offer them to their moment’s notice in time of emergency. They own communities, things would be a lot easier service the community and are go-between for for everyone.” the law. “After all,” as one person commented, “when someone in our community has a heart attack, Hatzolah is called before 9-1-1.” Therefore, it is imperative that these organizations work hand in hand with the government agencies. At the end of this informative meeting, the assistant of the Director of Homeland Security REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ROCKLAND COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE RABBI DOVID COHEN, CEO OF HATZALAH MISASKIM POWERPOINT PRESENTATION DDAVIDAVID PPOLLACK,OLLACK, JCRCJCRC THOMAS DONLON RABBI BERISH FRIELICH CHIEF ROBERT LAWSON DIRECTOR OF NYS DEPT. OF SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT LAKEWOOD, NJ POLICE DEPT. page 4 HOMELAND SECURITY OF THE NEW YORK STATE POLICE MISASKIM IN ACTION MISASKIM’S CHOL HAMOED TRIP MISASKIM SPREADS CHOL HAMOED JOY YEAR-ROUND Every year, Misaskim coordinates Pesach tour of behind-the-scenes at the airfield and and Sukkos Chol Hamoed events for the explored numerous planes. They also toured yesomim in our community. Misaskim's staff is the C5 Airplane, the world’s largest airplane, working feverishly to coordinate the most used to transport cargo for the army, which can spectacular program for the upcoming Pesach hold up to 90 Mercedes. The families enjoyed Chol Hamoed which is only 9 weeks away. a 60 minute juggling show. The event concluded with a Simchas Yom Tov, As an added bonus, Misaskim will soon accompanied by singing and dancing. release the DVD of the trip memories to the 700 community participants, so that they can The DVD will also feature this past Chol experience year round Chol Hamoed joy, thanks Hamoed Sukkos event in which eleven coach to Misaskim. The DVD will feature memories of buses transported 700 participants from the previous Pesach Chol Hamoed, in which 8 Lakewood, Monsey, Kiryas Yoel and the Five bus loads of families were treated to a Boros to New York City for a three hour Circle once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Air National Line boat ride around Manhattan. The families Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. Chaplains, enjoyed spending relaxing quality time Rabbi Jacob Goldstein and Rabbi Bublic together, relaxing on the sea and reveling in the addressed the participants about the little warm weather and beautiful experience. They known going-ons in the National Guard’s enjoyed snacking on light refreshments in the operation. The attendees received an exclusive boat’s Sukka, built especially for the occasion. Then, the children gathered around on the boat for a spectacular bird show and a ventriloquist DAVID POLLACK, JCRC page 5 MISASKIM IN ACTION performance. Afterwards, the participants traveled to Misaskim’s 5,000 square feet Mega Sukka at Ateres Chynka for a catered Seudas Yom Tov & grand Simchas Bais Hashoeva. Prominent Rabbanim and Misaskim volunteers joined together for this grand four-hour Simchas Bais Hosheava. Skilled jugglers and popular singers, including MBD, Michoel Schnitzler and Yumi Lowy, gladdened the hearts of the families. Indeed, this event injected the joy in the Yom Tov, creating memories which will continue to delight these orphans year-round. DAVID POLLACK, JCRC page 6 MISASKIM IN ACTION DAVID POLLACK, JCRC MISASKIM MEETS WITH MISASKIM IN ACTION FEDERAL AGENCIES IN WASHINGTON DC Misaskim. It has become a household name. It and the Jewish Comunity Organizations, and look is an organizational name people use when tragedy forward to using Misaskim as a platform of R"L strikes. They are reached out to whether it's to communication should R”L a major tragedy strike a prevent an autopsy, or to provide their "avodas Jewish neighborhood. hakodesh" at the scene of a tragedy, or for their Government officials on a Federal level, fully volunteers to "set up" a house for a family sitting understand the needs and sensitivities of the shiva, or for crisis intervention, Chevra Kadisha, or Jewish Communities across the United States. anything else a family might require in their time of need. During the meeting, time was devoted to discussing Although no one wishes it ever happens, what procedures should be the reality is that tragedy does indeed strike, taken if there are Jewish and as history has proven, tragedy strikes victims involved in an aircraft unexpectedly, and unpredictably. collision / terrorist attack. Based on that reality, It's important to note, that in Misaskim is constantly the Continental Airlines striving to perfect their crash of 2009, and the organization, and has proven mid-air collision between a themselves over and over to chopper and a small airplane be the foremost organization over the Hudson River in the which people reach out to summer of 2009, the above when needed. From government agencies were California, to Florida, from overly accommodating towards New York to Canada, the sensitivity and needs of the Misaskim has been there for Jewish victims. These groups MISASKIM ON THE SCENE AT THE CONTINENTAL AIRLINES fatal car accidents, airplane PLANE CRASH IN BUFFALO, NY, JANUARY 2009 worked together with Misaskim crashes, helicopter crashes, and various other volunteer people hit by trains, cars, buses, and fatal fires etc. Jewish organizations as well. On Tuesday, January 19th, a delegation of The agencies were highly-impressed that a Misaskim personnel traveled to meet with volunteer organization like Misaskim, is so high-ranking Federal law-enforcement government well-established, with mobile command centers, agencies in their Washington DC offices. numerous rapid-response vehicles - all outfitted for Attending the meeting were representatives of any type of tragedy, and have hundreds of the NTSB, the FBI, and the National American Red highly-trained volunteers ready to be mobilized at a Cross, the lead organizations who would be in moment’s notice. charge of a crisis should a disaster strike this Misaskim and the attending agencies country. committed to keep in touch with each other, The agencies were and although everyone hopes their eager to build a bridge services are never needed, should tragedy between their agencies R"L strike, they pledged to work closely with each other if disaster strikes. page 7 DAVID POLLACK, JCRC ONE WEEK. THREE NIFTARIM. 1,900 MILES. MISASKIM IN ACTION KIRYAS YOEL & MONSEY VOLUNTEERS TRAVELED LONG DISTANCE TO BRING NIFTARIM TO KEVURAH When Mr. Richard Blau passed away on The same week, a tragic car accident claimed Wednesday, December 27, 2009, he should’ve the lives of 20 year old Pesha Leah Azoulah and had an autopsy as part of the standard protocol 10 year old Avrohom Dovid Liberow. While for all residents in his institution in Buffalo, NY. traveling home from a wedding in Grand Rapids, When the staff Rev. notified the only known Michigan, a tractor-trailer lost control and crashed relative about the death, the relative was in a onto their car at approximately 10 p.m. The quandary. An elderly fellow with limited resources, accident occurred 35 miles from the the relative had neither the energy nor the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. finances to arrange a burial. Fortunately, an Family members contacted Misaskim, and acquaintance directed him to Misaskim. several teams of trained volunteers were Avrumi Friedman, a volunteer from immediatley dispatched to deal with the many Misaskim’s Toronto division transported the body pressing needs, including chevra kaddisha from Buffalo to Syracuse where it was transferred arrangements, disaster recovery and the Medical to Lazer Wohlner & Moshe Yaakov Tessler, Examiner’s office. Misaskim worked feverishly volunteers from Misaskim’s Kiryas Yoel division. throughout the entire night with the Pennsylvania They continued the transport to Kiryas Yoel. State Police and the coroner assigned to the Shmulie David & Sruly Hyman, volunteers from accident until the bodies were released to Misaskim’s Brooklyn division completed the Misaskim at 3 a.m.