Healing and recovery after Harvey flooding nearly destroyed Jewish Community Center

Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Jewish community center recovers after Harvey flooding
Jewish community center recovers after Harvey flooding

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The video is incredible -- and frightening. Floodwaters filled the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center in Meyerland during Hurricane Harvey. But now the building is nearly restored to what it once was.

Joel Dinkin is the executive vice president of the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center.

Just this week, he saw the time lapse video of what destroyed 35,000 square feet of the center.

Video from the Houston Jewish Federation shows just how devastating Hurricane Harvey was.

Twelve feet of water filled the building. Furniture floated away. Finally even the camera was submerged. And this center at the heart of Meyerland that had served more than 1,000 people a day was shut down.

'The building is the connection to the community which was so important," Dinkin said. "People wanted to be a part of it, wanted to reconnect."

Months later, the recovery has been incredible, and people are returning to the center.

"You can feel energy in building. Kids coming after school activities, theater, gymnastics, swim team activities, a rise in activity," Dinkin said. "We're starting to see older adults coming back into the building."