All of the members of the small Jewish community of Joplin, Mo., including two brothers who were reported missing, are safe and accounted for in the wake of a deadly tornado.
But many lost their homes and possessions to the tornado and are in need of basic supplies, according to reports.
Rabbi Yehuda Weg, the Tulsa-based director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Oklahoma, drove to Joplin on May 23 with a car full of supplies.
The Jewish Federation of St. Louis reports that there are about 50 Jews living in Joplin, which has a population of about 50,000.
A Reform synagogue, the United Hebrew Congregation of Joplin, has existed in the city since at least 1919, according to the Jerusalem Post. The synagogue was not damaged, according to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
The federation reports that at least four Jewish families lost everything in the tornado and are currently living in shelters.
A reported 122 people are confirmed dead and hundreds missing following what is being called the second-deadliest tornado in U.S. history. The tornado cut through Joplin on May 22, one of several tornadoes that hit the Midwest last weekend. — jta