Miracle: Massive Ship Nearly Crashes Into Chabad in Panama

As Tishrei came to a close, the Chabad House in Bocas del Toro, Panama, was still buzzing with the warmth of the recent High Holidays. Hundreds of Israeli backpackers and tourists visited the Chabad house led by Shluchim Rabbi Motti and Sarit Cohen, and joined for davenings, Shabbos and Yom Tov meals, experiencing a true “home away from home” on this vibrant Caribbean island.

Just this week, however, an extraordinary incident unfolded. Due to years of extensive road renovations, large vessels regularly arrive with materials needed for ongoing construction projects. These ships, transporting heavy loads like gravel and other building supplies, have become a common sight, docking up to three times a day.

However, just this week, an extraordinary incident unfolded. A massive ship, carrying a substantial load, lost control and nearly collided with the Chabad House, a center for Jewish life on the island. Surveillance footage captured the dramatic moment as the vessel veered dangerously close. In a last-minute maneuver, the ship’s operator managed to steer away from the Chabad House, ultimately crashing into the neighboring building instead. The impact was so strong that it demolished the structure next door entirely.

This near-miss, sparing the Chabad House from total destruction, is being hailed as an incredible miracle. The community is deeply grateful to Hashem for what they view as Divine intervention, and they are still processing the shock of the event.

Rabbi Motti Cohen, Director of the Chabad Center, told COLlive: “The boat operator realized at the last second that he couldn’t stop the boat because the “reverse gear” wasn’t functioning. So he had a choice between smashing into the Chabad house or the next-door neighbor. He chose the neighbor, literally taking down the entire house,” he said.

“If he’d gone one foot more to the right, he would’ve knocked into the Mikvah and Shul, which held the Sefer Torahs and the support beam for the Chabad house building,” Rabbi Cohen said.

“Even more frightening, who knows what would have happened to me and my family, if the house had G-d forbid crumbled then, while we were inside,” he said.