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Community Corner

Westchester Chabad Sends Mission To Haiti

When he heard what was happening down in Haiti, White Plains resident Isac Tabib knew he had to do something.

When he heard what was happening down in Haiti, White Plains resident Isac Tabib knew he had to do something.

A friend of a friend had just come back from the earthquake-ravaged country, and he told Tabib that there was a great need for small aircrafts to ferry doctors, nurses, food, and all sorts of supplies.

This was convenient, because Isac Tabib happened to own a small aircraft.

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He enlisted the service of his friend and fellow former Israeli Defense Force pilot, Yuval Hadaya, and the two of them started speaking to Rabbi Velvl Butman, executive director at Chabad Lubavitch of Westchester County, in Scarsdale. 

They would fly out there within the next week, touch base with workers in Haiti and see how they could help transport goods across the island.

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"It took us about three days to get organized," Tabib said, explaining that they needed to acquire the proper visas, charters, and provisions way in advance. 

They first flew to Philadelphia to pick up a doctor and various health supplies, then made their way to Ft. Lauderdale where the crew prepared for the long journey across the Caribbean.

Along with the help of Chabad's Dominican Republic branch, Butman was able to raise enough money for the two week mission, which turned out to be pricier than expected. 

"We burned through thousands of dollars in cash very quickly," Tabib said. The donations only covered some of the expenses there; he and Hadaya tackled the rest of the balance.

Fuel for the plane cost $800/hour, and other unexpected costs sprung up – like the absurdly exhorbitant – but mandatory – fees and costs needed to move through the proper channels in Haiti's Customs office.

"Their entire mission was to charge you," Tabib said. "You couldn't get anything done unless you paid them."

The island of Haiti contains three separate mountain ranges, its highest ranging up to 10,000 feet, so whenever Tabib and his crew needed to fly between Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic, they'd have to take the long route around.

"We'd have to fly up and over the mountains and then circle around the landing strip as we descended," explained Tabib. "So we'd wind up burning fuel over the ocean just to get down to the airport."

Tabib and Hadaya were only in Haiti for a week and a half, but were able to reach quite a number of people. They brought food and tents to an orphanage, delivered essential supplies to cities like Jacmel and Port-au-Prince, and did their best to help return peoples' lives back to normal.

"It's about tikkun olam – the ultimate idea of a better world," said Butman. "We are taught by Rebbe Menachem Schneerson that as Jews it is our responsibility to increase the realm of goodness and kindness, and send help to people wherever help is needed."

Tabib, a religious Jew, agrees, saying the trip couldn't have happened without Israeli ambassador Amos Radian, who coordinated the majority of Tabib's flights and even provided him and Hadaya with a place to eat and sleep for the entire two-week mission, including a special Sabbath meal one Friday night.

"The state of Israel is really doing a fabulous job there," said Tabib.

Israel has built mobile field hospitals and sent relief missions to Haiti, and is in the process of constructing a 30-acre compound that would contain a school and hospital for Haitians in need.

Tabib says he's thinking about going back, but he anticipates that there will be less of a need for small aircraft as the United States and other major nations' relief efforts are fully organized.

"There are thousands of people just walking around aimlessly, in hope of some opportunity, just looking for something," Tabib said. "I'm glad I went, it was a great experience, but the destruction is just unbelievable."

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