The Times of Israel reports: As volunteers worked feverishly to tape the exposed windows of San Juan’s Temple Beth Shalom with plastic film and carry the synagogue’s Torah scrolls to a secure place, the congregation’s visiting rabbi prayed for a New Year 5778 miracle that would spare Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria.
The Category 5 storm, with wind speeds of 160 mph, has already left widespread destruction on the nearby islands of Guadeloupe and Dominica. As it bears down on Puerto Rico — home to the largest Jewish community in the Caribbean — the island’s three synagogues have canceled Rosh Hashanah services and urged their members not to venture outside.
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