Chabad Rabbis Take on Vital Humanitarian Role in Aftermath of Bulgaria Bombing

July 18, 2012 11:32 pm 3 comments

A victim of the attack in Bulgaria. Photo: Screenshot.

In the aftermath of the horrific terror attack in Bugras, Bulgaria earlier today, that targeted Israeli tourists, local Chabad rabbis are playing a pivotal humanitarian role that includes providing food, drink and clothing, translating, responding to concerned family members and ministering the dead and wounded.

“I heard about it as soon as it happened” Rabbi Chaim Tevardovitch of Chabad of Sunny Beach, Bulgaria told The Algemeiner, “we have people that work with everyone as soon as they come to Bulgaria. They come with the buses, and they called me as soon as it happened.”

Tevardovitch says he arrived at the Bugras hospital by 6pm, just over an hour after the bombing which killed 7 took place. He witnessed many of the victims arriving at the hospital bearing an assortment of grievous bodily injuries, and says that three of the most badly injured victims have been moved to Sofia hospital which is more modern.

“Our people are in three places” said Rabbi Yosef Salamon, the main Chabad rabbi in Bulgaria, “at the airport we are giving out food and drinks to the people that are there. At the hospital, we are translating for the doctors, and we have 15 phone lines at the Chabad house where many people are calling.”

“Many people have no clothes because they were in the luggage, so we are trying to provide clothes for them as well” he said. “We have been working with Israeli Ambassador Shaul Kamisa-Raz who has been assisting everyone.”

Salamon told The Algemeiner that ZAKA voluntary emergency response teams from Israel that specialize in disaster victim identification, are awaiting permission from local authorities to retrieve the bodies of the victims from the bus. “We hope that they will be able to take the bodies back to Israel for burial tomorrow” he said, “but we don’t know yet.”

“It is a very difficult situation” he concluded, “we are a place of information for everybody and we are helping in every way that we can.”

3 Comments

  • I like the way they say “our people”.

    If the victims were not Jews they wouldn’t care one jot. Racism at it’s finest.

  • How did colonialism affect Africa? It became a curse, that America adopted the tribe of Judah to be their slaves, and cultivate the land of the free. What other nationality was forced, to give up their namesake heritage? From Black to Negro, Colored to African, America is the birth of a nation, Esau’s nation of people, having no birthrights. Who wrote the laws of the land, signing over their rights to be American. All men are created equal, in the eyes of the Lord. *Ezekiel 33:20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

  • G-d bless those Chabad Rabbis.

Leave a Reply

Please note: comments may be published in the Algemeiner print edition.


More...

  • Arts and Culture Blogs Film Review: Fill the Void (VIDEO)

    Film Review: Fill the Void (VIDEO)

    Rama Burshtein’s Fill the Void (Lemale et ha’halal) is the second film in as many years to emerge from Israel with not only a strong international presence, but a unique perspective on religious Judaism. Just as Footnote before it, this was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards after a run of significant festival appearances (including winning Best Actress at the 2012 Venice Film Festival). The film represents the crowning jewel of an emerging religious women’s cinema [...]

    Read more →
  • Arts and Culture Blogs EXCLUSIVE: Gal Gadot on Jewish Identity, American Films and Representing Israel in Hollywood (INTERVIEW)

    EXCLUSIVE: Gal Gadot on Jewish Identity, American Films and Representing Israel in Hollywood (INTERVIEW)

    Gal Gadot is arguably Israel’s second hottest export at the moment. The former Miss Israel 2004 and Miss Universe contestant has a starring role in the most recent film from the Fast and the Furious Franchise and is one of the faces of Israel’s largest clothing brands, Castro. Now she’s teaming up with Vine Vera skin care products,which incorporates the breakthrough ingredient Resveratrol, which she tells The Algemeiner is  “a new innovative discovery which helps slow down the aging process [...]

    Read more →
  • Arts and Culture Blogs Jonathan Ames, ‘Herring Wonder’ and HBO Series Creator, Does Israel

    Jonathan Ames, ‘Herring Wonder’ and HBO Series Creator, Does Israel

    Writer Jonathan Ames, creator of the HBO television series “Bored to Death,” is known for his fearless and exhibitionistic persona. One can find YouTube videos of him eating herring and boxing at the same time, having knives thrown at him by a person called “Throwdini,” and ranting drunkenly at an awards ceremony. And when it comes to writing, Ames’s essays tend to cover racy topics. Given these exploits, it’s a bit surprising to learn that Ames’s recent trip to Israel [...]

    Read more →
  • Arts and Culture Beliefs and concepts Jewish Presence in Contemporary Art

    Jewish Presence in Contemporary Art

    The Jewish presence and identity in the contemporary world of art is one truly worth noting. At the 3rd annual conference of “Jewish Arts & Identity in the contemporary world” in Baruch College’s Jewish Studies Center, at a panel entitled “Jewish Ways of Seeing: The Visual Arts and the Jewish Tradition”, the Jewish impact on the creative world is exemplified through the discussion of artist Audrey Flack and her various works. Flack was born in 1931 to a fairly Orthodox [...]

    Read more →
  • Blogs Features Black Jazz Musician Encounters Mixed Reactions to Subway Renditions of Hatikvah, Hava Hagila

    Black Jazz Musician Encounters Mixed Reactions to Subway Renditions of Hatikvah, Hava Hagila

    At first you may be skeptical of Isaiah Richardson Jr. He doesn’t look like somebody who would be playing Hava Nagila for passengers waiting for their train in the subway. Firstly, he seems too young,  and secondly, he’s a black kid from the Bronx, dressed sharply, derby hat and all. But when upon meeting Isaiah, the 32-year-old ticked off “Hevenu Shalom Aleichem,” “Bashana Haba’ah,” and “Zum Gali Gali” as some of his favorite songs to play passing crowds, I knew [...]

    Read more →
  • Blogs Music Mother’s Day Performer Blends Israeli Independence and the Jewish Side of Verdi

    Mother’s Day Performer Blends Israeli Independence and the Jewish Side of Verdi

    This Mother’s Day, the music of opera singer Sharon Azrieli Perez will integrate the varied threads that have made up the fabric of her life. Perez, in a Mother’s Day concert May 12 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, will weave a musical experience that brings together intimations of Israeli independence, Giuseppe Verdi’s use of Jewish melodies, medieval Ladino music, and modern Jewish show music. These musical elements are particularly personal for Perez, whose Juilliard education has [...]

    Read more →
  • Blogs Jewish 100 Social Harvey Weinstein to Elie Wiesel: Without You There Would be no ‘Schindler’s List’ (VIDEO)

    Harvey Weinstein to Elie Wiesel: Without You There Would be no ‘Schindler’s List’ (VIDEO)

    Famed film producer Harvey Weinstein presented Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel with the Algemeiner newspaper’s ‘Warrior for Truth’ award at its recent star studded 40th anniversary ‘JEWISH 100’ Gala. “My mother, the Miriam of Miramax […] was so thrilled when she heard that I was presenting to Professor Wiesel,” Weinstein said as he called on the professor to accept the award. “I am happy to be here on the Algemeiner’s 40th anniversary and to celebrate their top 100,” Weinstein added. Commenting [...]

    Read more →
  • Israel Sports Israeli Soccer Star Victim of Anti-Semitic Abuse on Twitter

    Israeli Soccer Star Victim of Anti-Semitic Abuse on Twitter

    Israeli soccer star Yossi Benayoun, who currently plays for FC Chelsea in the English Premier League, was recently the victim of anti-Semitic abuse on Twitter. After thanking his Twitter followers for sending him birthday wishes, Benayoun, who many consider to be the greatest Israeli soccer player ever, was sent the following message: “f***in Jew a**hole.” Benayoun posted a response, saying, “Some nice people in the world.” His team has called on the police to investigate the matter, according to the Britain’s [...]

    Read more →
Sign up now to receive our regular news briefs.