UJA-Federation spokeswoman Roberta Lee was unable to offer any monetary estimate of total damages or breakdowns on damages to individual synagogues, but she said the severity ranged from minor flooding to millions of dollars in repairs. She stressed that the federation’s damage survey remained ongoing and would change over time.
One official who asked to remain anonymous said that the areas damaged most heavily, such as the Rockaways and Brooklyn’s Sea Gate, were home to old synagogues and older people and many of the old synagogues and homes that were damaged were not insured against natural disaster.
Chabad of the Five Towns, in Cedarhurst, reported minor roof problems, while Shula Winner, co-director of the Chabad Synagogue of Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn, said that her building had flooding reaching about five feet high. She estimated damage at about $100,000.
Congregation Ohel David and Shlomo of Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, suffered significant damage and is currently closed.
The West End Temple, which is located in the Queens neighborhood of Neponsit in the Rockaways, estimated more than $1 million in damages. With help from the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York the synagogue will apply for FEMA aid.
Damage to synagogues in NJ was substantially less than damage to shuls in NY. In Ocean County, only one synagogue reported damage.
New Jersey’s Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, which covers northern and central areas of the state, reported that only three of its 74 synagogues suffered physical damage. Shelley Labiner, MetroWest’s chief marketing officer, said she was not aware of any synagogues requesting help from FEMA. Other federations reported no damage aside from power outages.
Rabbi Robert Scheinberg of the United Synagogue of Hoboken estimated $50,000 worth of damage to his congregation’s basement, which took in seven feet of water.
Rabbi Benjamin Adler of White Meadow Temple, in Rockaway, NJ, said his congregation lost part of its roof. He gave an estimate of $20,000 total damage. Adler said he was waiting to hear back on what his insurance would cover.
Rabbi David Bauman of Temple Israel of Long Beach, estimated $5 million worth of damages, cleanup and reconstruction for his congregation’s building. Bauman said his synagogue was insured, but he noted, “Insurance companies have outs for everything.
