Virgin Island tragedy unites Jews from far and wide

Community members and thousands of people globally are praying around the clock and performing mitzvot for a mother of 13 children who is fighting for her life. This after battling in vain to save her four-month-old baby girl from a freak drowning incident in the United States Virgin Islands last week.

Rabbi Asher and Henya (Shmotkin) Federman have been serving people on the Virgin Islands for the past 17 years as Chabad-Lubavitch shluchim (emissaries). Their lives were ripped apart last week following the tragic drowning of their youngest baby, Shterna Sarah, when she reportedly fell out of Henya’s arms and into the water near the Oasis Cove Marina in St Thomas. Both parents jumped into the water to save their baby, and Henya had to be pulled out herself and resuscitated. It’s now touch and go as Henya clings to life on life support.

Esther Hecht, the programme director at Chabad of Sandton, said the tragedy had created ripples of shock around the world.

“The Federmans are an incredible family who have touched countless lives and really need our deepest prayers at this time,” she said.

When Hecht was living in Florida a few years ago, she said she had the privilege of working virtually with the couple for a few months.

“During this time, I got a peek into the amazing work they do. I remember at that time how dedicated they were to their lives as emissaries of the Chabad Rebbe. Their programmes included – and still include – providing kosher food, holiday programmes, Shabbos services, classes for adults and kids, and most importantly, a comfortable and welcoming space for all Jews, no matter their background, who live in and visit the Virgin Islands,” she said.

According to Chabad.org News, as news of the unfolding tragedy spread, countless WhatsApp tehillim groups were set up encouraging Jews around the world to increase acts of goodness and kindness in Henya’s merit.

People have mobilised to do good and pray for her recovery. Henya was evacuated on emergency medical transport to Miami, and the couple’s children, some studying thousands of miles away including in Israel, flew back to the US to be with their family.

Baby Shterna’s funeral took place late Thursday, 1 December, in New York, at Old Montefiore Cemetery.

Rabbi Levi Lipskar of The Shul at Hyde Park Chabad spent several summers in Israel on a study programme where Federman was his councillor.

“I was 15 years old, away from home, and the impact Rabbi Federman had on us young teenagers was immense. He was my councillor for two years, and he was so patient with those of us from South Africa, non-judgemental, and caring. He’s a man with a huge heart, incredible wisdom, and a passion for imparting knowledge. He and Henya have made an indelible impression on thousands of lives,” Lipskar said.

He said his father, Rabbi Mendel Lipskar, and Henya’s father, Rabbi Yisroel Shmotkin, have known each other for many years and sit on the worldwide Chabad executive. The families have had a long association.

“We have a real connection with the family and annually reminisce when we see each other at the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries (Kinus Hashluchim). It’s a time to reach out and do as many mitzvot as we can because ultimately, there are no answers as to why these things happen.”

Rabbi Asher Deren of Chabad of the West Coast in Bloubergstrand, who has a long association with the Federmans, described the events as an “unimaginable tragedy” for the couple who had achieved greatness together.

“As teenagers and in our early twenties, Asher and I were in yeshiva together for a few years, and while he was a few years younger than me, he always had the admiration and respect of all of the bochurim. He’s a smart, passionate, focused person, with a real joy of living and a warmth that just flows out of him. Whether through rigorous Torah studies, soulful prayer, deep friendships, or spiritual self-development, we all knew already then that he was destined to achieve greatness. And greatness he and Henya achieved.”

He said the couple moved out to St Thomas knowing that in spite of its allure as a holiday destination, the beaches and views were no replacement for kosher food, Jewish education, family support, and a large local community – all of which were non-existent when they moved out there.

“By the grace of Hashem, they turned their isolated outpost into an oasis of Yiddishkeit, and rather than just see themselves as meeting people once off as they pass through the island, they actually have had a deep and life-transforming influence on countless souls that have met them over the years,” he said.

“My nephew was there last summer, and shared with me what a special shlichus they have there. Though Asher and Henya are incredible trailblazers and community leaders, their absolute number one priority has always been their children.

“My son was in school with some of their boys, and my daughter is in the shluchim online school with their daughter. In spite of the obvious hardships of growing up on an island far away from the amenities that most would consider a must for children, they really succeeded in raising happy and well-balanced children who are partners with them in their shlichus.”

Only weeks ago, they returned to St Thomas after an extended leave on the US mainland, where they had gone to get treatment for one of their children for a serious illness from which she has since recovered.

“The fact that just days after returning to the island with so much excitement to be back at their post they were struck with this unimaginable tragedy, is too heart breaking for words,” Deren said.

He said he wanted Federman to know that the Jewish nation around the world was davening for Henya’s complete recovery and for him and the children to recover from “this most terrible story”.

The family is now split between Miami, where Henya is in intensive care, Detroit, where the children are with family, and their home in St Thomas. With mounting costs, a fundraising campaign has been set up to help the family: https://matchathon.com/federman