By Lior G.
Sixth Grade, Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
Recently, a number of hurricanes and tropical storms have devastated parts of the world. From Hurricane Harvey in Texas to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, homes, businesses and schools have been wiped out.
In fact, the images of Hurricane Harvey strikingly resembled those from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with people seeking refuge on roofs, debris drifting downstream and abandoned cats and dogs floating away.
The impact of these devastating events is not lost on students at Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation.
“The recent hurricanes are devastating to families all over the world, even if they were not immediately affected by it,” says sixth grader Fiona W., who notes that people from around the globe have family and friends living in Texas, Puerto Rico and Florida. “You can help people by donating to hurricane relief charities, or you can go to the places that have been affected and help people bring their lives back together.”
Taking part in helping recover parts of Puerto Rico and Texas is very important, Fiona states. “I think that all of the hurricanes were equally devastating despite the fact that they hit different places.”
Though the hurricanes took place in different cities, they were scary and devastating to the local people. Fiona hopes that there will be no more hurricanes this season.
“This has made people more aware of what hurricanes can do to people’s lives and how fatal they can be,” she says.
Hannah S., another sixth grader at KSDS, also expressed sorrow about the hurricanes and their devastation.
“I feel like I have to help, and I feel sorry for the families that lost their wives, moms, husbands, dads, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers and cousins,” she says.
There could be children without parents, wives without husbands, and brothers without sisters who are still mourning their losses.
Hannah expresses how humans are powerless when it comes to preventing such natural disasters. “But it is the weather, so there is nothing we can do about it,” she says. Weather is very easily underestimated. The forecast calls for a light drizzle, and then there is a hurricane at the door.
Hannah mentions that “we can help people by donating goods and non-perishables so that people have enough supplies until they can get back on their feet again, especially in Puerto Rico.” There are many hurricane relief charities, and everybody can take part in the mitzvah of “כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה”, which means all Jews are responsible for each other.
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