As Hurricane Harvey made its way toward Texas, Beth Yeshurun Day School (BYDS) closed its doors and hoped for the best. But like much of Houston, it did not emerge unscathed. The school took in up to eight inches of water throughout the classrooms, multipurpose rooms, computer lab, offices, the library, and every corner in between.
After the storm had passed, school leadership, together with parent volunteers and dedicated staff, immediately started the remediation process.
“Our school community united to work tirelessly to support our school cleanup efforts,” says Dan Ahlstrom, head of school at BYDS. “Volunteers helped teachers empty their classrooms, remove carpet, haul trash, and sweep and mop the debris to get our building ready for our students to return. Our parents and teachers put aside their own difficulties [due to the impact of the floods] to serve the children of this community.”
After the school underwent a complete cleaning, drying, and sanitizing, the renovation work began. During this time, BYDS students were generously hosted by The Emery/Weiner School (first through fifth grades), Congregation Beth Israel (pre-K and younger), and The Shlenker School (kindergarten). The school expects all students to be back in their regular BYDS classrooms by the end of December.
Unfortunately, the school’s synagogue, Congregation Beth Yeshurun, will not be ready for about a year, which means the school won’t be able to hold many of its larger events and activities.
Schools and organizations from all over the United States have supported BYDS by offering to host families or classes, sending supplies, holding fundraisers, or donating to the school online.