Jewish Community OK in Aftermath of Texas Tornado

While parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area remain under a tornado watch until 8 PM CDT, the Jewish community of Dallas seems to have fared well despite two confirmed tornadoes which caused massive damage with winds in excess of sixty five miles per hour and sightings of hailstones the size of baseballs.

“So far everyone is doing well,” Rabbi Mendel Dubrawsky of Chabad of Dallas told VIN News. “We have called around to different families in Fort Worth, Arlington and all over the Dallas area. So far it sounds quite serious, with houses, cars and even trucks being damaged by the storm. Im Yirtze Hashem, all will be good.”

Far North Dallas resident Tzvi Teitelbaum was in the Allen Outlet Center northwest of Dallas when storms ripped through the area.

“The stores were closed and everyone was sent to the food court for about an hour and a half,” said Teitelbaum. “The storm mainly affected South Dallas but the two main neighborhoods where the Jewish community lives, North Dallas and Far North Dallas, did okay. Once the tornado emergency passed, everyone came out but that was when the rain and the hail started. As of now we are still on the lookout for more danger but right now it is just wind and rains.”

Teitelbaum’s wife, Rena Esther, who babysits for a few of the teachers at the nearby Torah Day School found that some of her charges stayed longer than usual today.

“The whole day school, including the preschool, was on lockdown so some of the mothers were an hour late picking up their children,” explained Mrs. Teitelbaum. “But thankfully despite all the rain and the storms, we are good up here.”

At the Torah Day School, located on Frankford Road, three hundred and twenty children spent close to two hours sequestered in the gym until the danger had passed.

“We did very well, all the children and staff stayed calm under the storm conditions,” said school secretary Donna Palvadeau. “The teachers kept everyone occupied and did their jobs very well. We heard that in Arlington, about forty five minutes away they were hit very well, but here in the Jewish neighborhood, things were relatively good and everyone is finally going home.”

One Comment