"The Hurricane Veered and We Realized We Were Saved": Shlomi Padlon Recalls the Incredible Miracle in Miami

On the last Friday, Shlomi Padlon was interviewed by Hidabroot, an outreach activist in Miami, who described the activity in preparation for Hurricane Irma, which was expected to hit with full force on Saturday night. As recalled, the media was filled with reports about what was going to happen, to the extent that the governor of Florida even expressed concern that there was a reasonable fear the hurricane could completely "erase" Florida, heaven forbid.

In the interview, Padlon shared that "according to all forecasts, this is a storm unlike any seen in the past decade. A large and powerful storm categorized as a Category 5, with winds exceeding 300 km/h."

"I believe that the prayers of the Jewish people will help here," Padlon said. "The cries of hundreds of thousands of Jews in this area, every prayer, every request, every plea—every such thing can certainly help and protect all the residents, including the Jews here."

According to him, the fear of what was about to happen was great, but the strong faith and prayers that Jews all over the world prayed for the residents of Florida kept everyone together in an unparalleled unity. A unity that has the power to overcome all fears and hurricanes.

What to do in such a situation?

"Since the pessimistic forecasts said the hurricane was going to hit us directly and with intensity, we consulted Rabbi Zamir Cohen on what we should do. The rabbi defined our experience as a kind of birth pangs, and following his advice, it was decided to stay here and continue praying with all our heart."

And that's exactly what happened. "On Friday, we ensured there were several prayer groups at the synagogue, and the same on *Shabbat*, which was very joyous and uplifting as we celebrated a Shabbat Chatan," Padlon shared in another interview. "We continued with full faith and strong prayers, encouraged by the thought that during this difficult time Jews worldwide were praying for us. I received reports of prayers from South Africa to Australia for us."

"It Was the Peak of the Hurricane, Then We Realized We Were Saved"

Despite the pessimistic forecasts, the prayers of the Jewish people for each other were victorious again. "On Shabbat night, the hurricane was supposed to attack us, and the feeling was very uneasy. But we strengthened ourselves even more, believing that everything would be alright. Later that night, the winds intensified to about 150 km/h, but the rains were relatively sparse, which in itself was a miracle. Had there been more intense rains, the situation here could have been catastrophic," he states.

"As the hours passed, we realized the hurricane was still going but veering west. The strong winds continued into Sunday, which was the peak of the hurricane, but then we realized we were saved from the eye of the storm, as it moved left, westward. We, on the eastern side of Florida, only got the 'edges' of the storm."

Only then, when the winds calmed somewhat, did the local residents understand the magnitude of the miracle that had occurred. "If the hurricane we experienced was a Category 2, I can't imagine what a Category 4 or 5 felt like in other places. I believe what truly helped and saved us were the prayers and unity of the community members. We thank the entire Jewish people who participated in the prayers and cared for our well-being, and I hope, with G-d's help, that we won't have to face such trials in the future.

"But should we have to endure them again, we already know that the power of our unity will overcome everything. Whether in America or Australia, the strength of the Jewish people connects all corners, and I think this unity is definitely recognized and valued in Heaven. Happy holidays to all the Jewish people, and thank you all."