Last week’s collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, is more than just a distant tragedy to Rabbi Mendy Wineberg, director of Chabad of Leawood.

The aunt and uncle of his brother-in-law were among those who remained missing when Wineberg spoke with The Chronicle Monday morning. Wineberg said the parents of the secretary at his son’s Chicago yeshiva were among the confirmed dead.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the 12-story building in the heavily Orthodox enclave near Miami Beach collapsed just before 2 a.m. June 24, as families slept in its 55 apartments just blocks from the beach. As of Monday, 10 people had been confirmed dead and 151 people remained missing.

The cause of the collapse remained unclear.

Wineberg said his brother-in-law’s aunt and uncle were staying in the building during a visit there from their home in Australia.

As rescuers continued their search, Wineberg said finding survivors seemed unlikely. His prayer, he said, was that loved ones could soon find comfort.

“It is sad to say,” Wineberg said, “but at this point, finding the bodies will bring some sense of closure and allow the grieving process to move ahead.”

The Chronicle followed up with Wineberg after he included a message about the tragedy in the pre-shabbat email from his shul on Friday.

In the message, he noted that the building collapse came just eight weeks after 45 people were crushed to death during a stampede at a Lag B’Omer celebration that drew tens of thousands of haredi Orthodox Jews to the northern Israeli mountain village of Meron.

His email message went on to say:

“Every person’s life affects hundreds, and the magnitude of this event is beyond comprehension.

For something like this to happen in one of the most popular cities in the United States, a modern structure to collapse like this, is unheard of. We hear of such things happening in Third World countries, where buildings are not built according to code, and not inspected or maintained, but who would think it could happen right here?

This very attractive and popular neighborhood, with young families and old, is right next to a well-known Chabad synagogue, called The Shul. Many members of the synagogue reside in that building.

The synagogue has turned into a campground.

People in adjacent buildings have been evacuated and moved into the synagogue, as well as family members of the missing, with help and support pouring in with all their needs, including bedding and food. They are all waiting for news, surrounded by friends and members of the synagogue, showing love and support.

We pray for them all, and should increase in acts of kindness and goodness on behalf of the missing, and their families. At times like these people of all stripes and persuasions come together.

The realization that life as we know it can be upended in a moment makes us take stock of what is truly important.

We live in a time when our country is extremely divided. This division infiltrates every segment of our community. This is a time for unity and healing, realizing that each one of us is entitled to our own opinions, and has the right to express oneself. We must learn how to accept and respect everyone. This is called unity.

Let us pray that the missing will be found alive and healthy, and that from now on we may never experience such events again. By us adding in the above-mentioned, may we merit G-d’s mercy, and may He send the righteous Moshiach, who will lead us to the full and final redemption.” 

Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City is helping raise money for an emergency assistance fund established to help people affected by the collapse of Champlain Towers South. An online donation page is available at www.jewishkansascity.org/forms/emergency-disaster-relief.