These Religious Jews Became a Lifeline After Texas’s Deadly Flood

In Texas’s Hill Country, floodwaters swallowed everything—homes, livestock, lives. Yet in the midst of the devastation, one small Jewish outpost stands as a beacon of hope.

Rabbi Yossi and Malkie Marrus never imagined their quiet Chabad House would transform into a regional hub for relief. But as torrential rains swept through over July 4th weekend—carving a 60–70 mile path of destruction—the Chabad of Boerne became a lifeline, not just for the Jewish community, but for all their neighbors.

“We have a sacred responsibility to make sure the Jewish community is doing everything it can to help other human beings,” Rabbi Marrus says. “Because we’re all created in the image of Hashem, and human beings are suffering.”

The flood may have been an act of God—but so, too, was the Marruses’ move to Boerne. Three years ago, after decades of service in San Antonio, they resettled in this quiet Hill Country town. Their mission was simple: meet Jews in the area, host Shabbat meals and Torah classes, and create a space for community. “We know maybe 120 Jewish families in the entire area, and the assimilation rate is high,” Rabbi Marrus explains. “It’s a unique place with very good, warm people—the Texas spirit—and I think it’s very special.”

But everything changed when the Guadalupe River overflowed, turning campgrounds and neighborhoods packed with vacationers into scenes of devastation. “The power of this flood and how much destruction—it’s enormous,” Rabbi Marrus reflects.

They almost weren’t in Texas this summer. The Marruses had been scheduled to lead a Birthright trip to Israel—canceled due to war. Next came plans to visit family in South Africa—postponed again. “Hashem clearly puts us where we’re supposed to be,” Rabbi Marrus says. And where they were supposed to be, clearly, was right here to help.

As reports of missing persons mounted, the Marruses began calling local Jewish families. “Thank God, everyone we directly knew was safe. But very quickly, we realized this was much, much bigger than the Jewish community.”

The Chabad of Boerne became a hub for relief:

• They sent chainsaws to help first responders clear massive fallen trees.
• Delivered refrigerators to fire stations struggling to preserve donated food.
• Wrote checks for families who had lost everything.
• Offered spiritual support, with Rabbi Marrus carrying his English Tehillim as he prayed with survivors and firefighters.
  

One call came from a mother of three, sheltering in a hotel after her home was destroyed. “She said, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ I asked, ‘Do you need money for food? Clothing?’ She started crying on the phone,” Rabbi Marrus recalls. He sent her $500 via Venmo.

At a fire station, he quietly handed over a $1,000 check for supplies. At a local benefit for two displaced families, he made another large donation. When a recipient asked who to thank, Rabbi Marrus didn’t hesitate: “The Jewish community.”

“It’s not about me,” he insists. “It’s about showing that the Jewish community cares.”

Wherever he goes, Rabbi Marrus wears his Jewish identity proudly. “I tell people, ‘The Jewish community stands with you. Israel stands with you.’” The response is always the same: tears and gratitude. “It’s a big responsibility to try to do everything we can to help people—and to just be there.”

The rebuilding, he notes, will take months. While national agencies step in, Chabad of Boerne remains a vital bridge—connecting needs to resources and offering comfort, prayer, and practical aid. “Chabad is everywhere. And many times, people look to us as the face of the Jewish world. I don’t know if I’m the face of the Jewish world, but in this part of town, I certainly am.”

In the wake of tragedy, this small but mighty Chabad House’s acts of kindness speak louder than words. “My hope is that this truly is a Kiddush Hashem,” Rabbi Marrus says. “Not for my sake, not for the sake of my organization, but for Am Yisrael.”

And it already is—a lifeline stretching from the Hill Country of Texas, rippling outward to touch the world.

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