So soon after the disaster, with the floodwaters still present, the mood was not a joyful one. Even though the observance was a somber one, however, it was meaningful to most of those in attendance. Father Charlie Minor, the pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic church, had been invited to participate in the more religious aspects of the gathering, along with the Reverend Benjamin Fuller, the pastor of Obergrande Community Church, itself non-denominational. In addition, Rabbi Sheldon Feist had graciously come in from Lake Placid, about twenty miles to the north, the only town in the Adirondacks with an active synagogue. All three men had stood in silence together, facing one another, heads bowed in prayer, for about fifteen minutes before the ceremony began. As a result, the normal noise and banter that might occur before any type of public event was minimized by the sight of three holy men, their arms across each other’s shoulders, praying quietly for the lost. Rabbi Feist had kept his remarks short, expressing the condolences of his congregation and noting that his Temple would be praying for those impacted by the flood, as well as offering kosher meals for anyone who needed them due to lack of electricity.
