Edited By: Fern Sidman
Throughout the search for survivors in the aftermath of the Surfside condominium collapse, among those remains that had yet to be discovered in the massive rubble of the Champlain Towers South complex was that of beloved community member, Estelle Hedaya.
On Monday, July 26th, a month after the building collapse, the Associated Press reported that the remains of Ms. Hedaya had been found identified according to a relative who spoke with the media on Monday. Her younger brother, Ikey Hedaya, confirmed the identification to The Associated Press. “She always mentioned God anytime she was struggling with anything,” he said. “She had reached a different level spiritually, which allowed her to excel in all other areas.”
The middle-of-the-night catastrophe that rocked a nation, ultimately claimed 98 lives.
Hedaya, an outgoing 54-year-old with a love of travel, was the last victim identified, ending what her relatives described as a torturous four-week wait.
The news comes just days after rescuers officially concluded the painstaking and emotionally heavy task of removing layers of dangerous debris and pulling out dozens of bodies, as was reported by the AP.
In the early morning hours of June 25th, the ocean-facing wing of the 12-story Champlain Towers South collapsed and about 55 of the building’s 136 units came down, as was reported by the New York Times. Hundreds of people were trapped inside, many of whom were likely asleep at the time of the collapse.
According to a June 25th report on the National Jeweler web site, Hedaya was a native New Yorker who was employed in the city’s jewelry industry for years prior to relocating to the Miami area to take a job with the Continental Buying Group & Preferred Jewelers teams. She had been living in Florida for approximately six years and had a 6th floor apartment in the ill fated building.
The National Jeweler reported that Hedaya was originally from Queens and while living in the Surfside area was the director of operations for both CBG and Preferred Jewelers International, working with many suppliers and retailers.
Since the building collapse, CBG has been urging people on social media to pray for Estelle. In the immediate aftermath of the building collapse, CBG posted on Instagram, “Please pray for our Estelle … We are devastated, but hopeful she will be found and safe.”
Since this time, a veritable outpouring of prayers and well wishes from members of the jewelry industry have come in along with heartfelt wishes from throngs of family members, friends, community members and just about everyone who had the distinct pleasure of knowing Estelle, according to the National Jeweler report.
Family, friends and colleagues also flooded Estelle’s Facebook page with supportive messages and prayers, as was also reported by the National Jeweler report.
In an e-mail statement sent to the National Jeweler by CBG President Andie Weinman on June 25th, she said, “Estelle was my succession plan and was right on track. We just had our show in Vegas and had never seen her as happy and thriving in her career. She is exceptional working with this organization.”
Although close to 100 of those who were unaccounted for after the collapse have been found dead under the rubble by first responders, in the early stages of response team strategy the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade County’s urban search and rescue team were using dogs, sonar, and cameras to search through the rubble via the parking garage located beneath the building, according to the report on the National Jeweler web site.
According to a July 2nd report on the Chabad.org web site by Tzali Reicher, Estelle was described as “a passionate traveler and foodie who loves to try new things and just have fun.”
The report said that Estelle runs a blog called followthetoes.com, where she shares her adventures, feelings and advice. Her friend Mindy Beth Silverman shared with the Miami Herald that Estelle was so full of life and devoted to her Judaism. She had a deep and abiding love for Israel and her fellow Jewish people.
The Chabad.org report also indicated that on the Friday night following her building’s collapse, Estelle’s friend Debra Golan said she performed the mitzvah of lighting Shabbat candles 18 minutes earlier than she had to, 18 corresponding to chai (life), and her prayer that Estelle will be found soon.
The AP reported that Linda March, a 58 year-old attorney and fellow former New Yorker, was close friends with Hedaya. Oddly the two were the last three victims to be identified, along with 24-year-old Anastasia Gromova of Canada.
Leah Sutton, who knew Hedaya since birth and considered herself a second mother to her, said she and March were both “forces to be reckoned with,” according to the AP report.
“My two beautiful amazing fearless friends saved for last, have to believe there was a reason for them to be last,” she said Monday. “Estelle’s love of God was unbelievable and unwavering.”
The AP reported that the dead included members of the area’s large Orthodox Jewish community, the sister of Paraguay’s first lady, her family and their nanny, along with an entire family of four that included a local salesman, his wife and their two young daughters, 4 and 11, who were buried in the same coffin.
