Hearts are broken.
Spirits are shattered.
A young neshoma has been lost.
It started out as a fun summer day, when 750 children from numerous Boro Park day camps drove out to Sahara Sam’s Water-Park. Down the slides, riding the waves, campers ran around happily under the sun. As the children were getting ready to leave, one camper was getting dressed and noticed a kid at the bottom of the pool.
Horrified, shocked, lost. What happens next?
Within a few moments, Misaskim stepped in. A volunteer from Misaskim Baltimore was dispatched to the Hospital in Vorhees, NJ. He established contact with the staff at the water-park and simultaneously arranged for a minyan from the Cherry Hill community to join the victim’s bedside and say Shema Yisroel for him.
While all this was happening, the 749 other campers weren’t allowed to leave the premises, pending investigation. A Misaskim truck from Lakewood was dispatched, loaded with water, danishes and snacks. In addition, R’ Yossi and R’ Mendy Carlebach, chaplains for various NJ police departments, were sent by Misaskim to serve as a liaison between the investigators and the children – to allow them to be able to leave.
Meanwhile in Boro Park, Misaskim went to notify the parents and siblings, informing them of this great tragedy. Chai Lifeline Crisis Intervention Team was called in to help them deal with the shock. The Philadelphia Volunteers worked to get the body released from the medical examiner ensuring the proper kavod hames. Yet the police investigators would only agree, on the condition that the parents come down to the hospital. Misaskim Volunteers made the trip with the parents, 2 hours to Philadelphia and 2 hours back- in the wee hours of the morning.
Back in Boro Park, a group of Misaskim volunteers went down to the shivah house. The family’s existing air conditioners weren’t working well enough to be able to cool down the house when so many visitors were expected. New air conditioners, donated by Plug-ins from Boro Park, were installed, Community Board 12 was contacted by Misaskim to remove all the garbage from the front yard and surrounding houses while the kitchen got stocked with basic food, drinks and paper goods. Boxes of toys were delivered to the house to entertain the young siblings of the victim, while Misaskim arranged for members from the Belze Kehillah in Toms River to stay shmirah overnight. At the moment, Misaskim is setting up sound systems and water stations for the levaya that is expected to draw the masses.
An operation spanning 3 states, Misaskim stepped in, when no one else knew what to do first.
Misaskim are truly oskim btzorchei tzibur be’emuna. However, now is not the time for this promo.
HaShem should bless all these wonderful volunteers!
I remember thinking as few years ago that we already have all the Chesed organizations we will ever need. Soon thereafter, Misaskim opened, followed closely by Bonei Oilam, Chaveirim, Moadim L’simcha, and a few others. Now I wonder how we ever got along without these guys. What Misaskim did, just last night, at this terrible tragedy, is absolutely amazing.
Wow!! Just blown away! May these special volunteers be gbentched. And May Hashem watch His special children toiling with chassadim and bring only yeshuos and nechamos to klal yisrael.
Is Sahara Sam’s equipped to safely host 750 young children? Sahara Sam’s requires adult supervision for children under 13 years old, was there enough adult supervision for 750 children?
It’s time for Misaskim to issue some common sense guidelines for our daycamps & hopefully their services won’t be needed. 750 young children from multiple camps is a sakonah gedolah.
They pulled together a phenomenal operation. But the “interste shura” is that we daven and hope that they will be idle and their services will not be required for any Rachmana Lizlan needless tragedies like this.
“Misaskim stepped in when noone else knew what to do!!”
Amazing!! Mi kamcha yisroel. In such horrific moments, to be encircled with the love of klal yisroel!!!
750 kids????
aren’t there many lifeguards there?
Sahara sams has a maximum capacity of 1000 guests. Ppl need to stop pointing finger. Real accidents where no one was negligent do happen. Hashem can make them happen even when mere humans take all possible safety precautions.
Lifeguards tbere prob not equipped 4 that many kids! 750!!?? Wake up that’s not right