Historic Brisbane Synagogue Moves Inland as River Rises - Brisbane - QLD - Australia - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

Historic Brisbane Synagogue Moves Inland as River Rises
As thousands of Brisbane residents awaited the crest of their swollen river, Australia’s meteorological service revised its estimates of inland flooding and predicted that the worst inundation since 1974 will not break records.
News reports Wednesday, just hours before the Brisbane River was expected to reach its highest point, indicated that the river would crest half a meter below the 1974 level.
Nevertheless, much of the Queensland capital’s central business district remained deserted, if not underwater. Residents fled to friends’ homes and higher ground, and the local Jewish community emptied their historic synagogue of its precious Torah scrolls, said Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Levi Jaffe.
“I’m moving the Torahs to my home in the suburb of Carindale, which thank G-d, has not been affected by the floods,” announced Jaffe, director of Chabad of Brisbane and rabbi of the 125-years-old Brisbane Hebrew Congregation. “Because of the rapid raise of the Brisbane River, there will be no services at the synagogue; they will take place at my home.”
Meanwhile, rescue crews continued their search for survivors after a veritable wall of water washed through the western town of Toowoomba Monday. The death toll held at 10, according to various reports, but dozens of people remained missing.
West of the town, Cecil Plains resident Howard Rothberg told the J-wire website that his family was trapped for three days on their rural property, which was 80 percent submerged.
“We had plenty of food in reserve so we did not feel in danger,” he said. “But this is unprecedented. In the almost 40 years we have lived up here, I have never seen anything like it.”
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh struck almost the same chord when she spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald. She predicted that upwards of 30,000 residents of Brisbane would be affected by the floods.
“Brisbane,” she said, “will go to sleep tonight and wake up to scenes that they have, many of them, never seen anything like in their lives.”

Type of publication: Newspaper When was the article reported?: 01/12/2011 Publication: chabad.org Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: national News Category: Arts/Culture

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