Jewish communities in Tennessee step up to help after tornado disaster

Jewish communities throughout Tennessee stepped up to help in the recovery and clean up efforts taking place after four tornadoes tore through the center of the state, killing at least 25 people and leaving a trail of destruction.

The Jewish Federation & Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee is leading the efforts and has already begun providing $5,000 in immediate assistance to the area which was affected by the tornadoes.

The federation has identified more than 200 Jewish households in the areas hit by the tornadoes and is having volunteers reach out to the individuals to check on them. Four families are currently receiving immediate assistance from the organization.

“We definitely will need to raise additional funds to implement Phase 2 of the recovery process and as we learn of additional needs from Jewish community members in the areas impacted by the tornadoes and help people beyond the initial immediate crisis period,” said Eric B. Stillman, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation & Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee in an email.

Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Yitzchok and Esther Tiechtel visited area residents soon after the disaster, sharing hugs, words of comfort and food as volunteers continued to pick through the wreckage left behind by the tornadoes.

While Nashville was full of volunteers, the town of Mt. Juliet, a half-hour drive from downtown, was nearly empty.

“They were in a state of shock,” Esther Tiechtel said to Chabad.org. “They were alone out there trying to piece together what happened. We tried to provide a human side: words of comfort, a smile, a handshake or hug.”

Dr. Pete Davis, an optometrist who founded Mt. Juliet Family Vision in 1989, lost his 31-yearold business to the tornadoes, but told the Tiechtels “how thankful he was that his life and home were spared.”

“I’ve been on the phone with a Jewish friend, Dr. Dan Bregman, all morning, and he’s been keeping me going,” Davis told them. “And now I meet you, a Jewish rabbi.”

Bregman, also a close friend of the Tiechtels, is one of the many community members reaching out to help those affected.

The Tiechtels stressed that the next step is fundraising. “For most people, practically speaking, they need help with small things,” said Yitzchok Tiechtel. “Insurance will take care of the big things, but they need help cleaning up, and gift cards to Home Depot and Walmart for essentials to get them back on their feet.”

“The people we spoke to told us over and over how thankful they were to God that they had survived, and how they hoped to rebuild,” said Esther Tiechtel. “There was a lot of pain, but there was also a lot of faith, too.”

The Chabad of Nashville is accepting donations for the community.

People from across the area and the state came together to help with clean up and support for the affected areas.

“We’re called the Volunteer State, and there’s a reason for that – because Tennesseans have a real spirit of generosity and service to one another,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

Organizations throughout the state, from Memphis to Knoxville, have stepped up with fundraising campaigns and have provided volunteers and money to the areas in need.

The first case of coronavirus in the state was reported on Thursday in the Nashville area, just two days after the tornadoes hit the area.