SURFSIDE, Fla. – Just days after it was discovered that an engineer had documented deteriorating concrete in Champlain Towers South three years ago, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reacted in disbelief.
“We need a definitive explanation of how this could have happened,” explained DeSantis. “It’s really a wake-up call, and I think these communities are going to have to look at this, particularly as they have inspections, if there are things identified, they’re going to have to take it seriously.”
Meanwhile, the outpouring of love and support was truly felt at the Shul of Bal Harbour, as dozens attended a prayer service. So many members of their community are among those missing.
Loved ones and the community have gathered there to donate clothing, food and other items, as well as to pray and to pay their respects to the victims and their families.
“Those holes will be there forever,” says Max Fishbach, a volunteer at the Shul of Bal Harbour. “But, what we can do is honor the people who are not going to be here by living the life the way they lived, and by living life helping others.”
Many people within the Miami Beach Jewish community, as well as the greater Miami community, are connected to a victim in one way or another.
Essentially, almost everyone is connected to or related to a family in crisis right now.
At the site, an Israeli team joined the search and rescue mission at the request of some of the families who had met with DeSantis, earlier.
“I think they were wondering, ‘Could something have been done?’ And I think the fact that the Israelis went, they surveyed the scene — they had already digitally modeled the whole wreckage before they even got here. They’re very impressive,’” explained DeSantis. “And they said, ‘Look. What Miami did is exactly what we would have done.’”