Shloshim Gathering for Rachel Nisanov Who Died in Jet Ski Accident in Florida

It’s not the natural order of life for a parent to bury a child. When such a tragedy happens to a prominent rabbi’s family, thousands of followers turn out. Such was the case with Rabbi Shlomo and Rebbetzin Ora Nisanov. Rabbi Nisanov is the spiritual leader of Kehilat Sephardim of Ahavat Achim in Kew Gardens Hills, which is part of the Bukharian community in Queens. He also operates a popular food pantry that distributes kosher food to all communities. The Nisanovs have eight children.

During a vacation in southern Florida to celebrate Rachel Aliza Nisanov’s eighth grade graduation from Bnos Malka Academy in Queens, tragedy struck the family. On Tuesday, August 12, Rachel, 13, was on the back of a jet ski, riding tandem with her sister, Aviva, 16, who was driving the personal watercraft which they had rented. The jet ski got caught up in a wake (a large wave from a passing water vehicle) in the Intercoastal Waterway and Aviva lost control of the vehicle. The two girls crashed into the concrete dock near the 2800 block of NE 24^th Court in Broward County. Both had on life-preservers, but lost consciousness under the dock.

Rabbi Nisanov and his wife saw the incident as they were on a jet ski near their daughters’ watercraft. The rescue began immediately as the Nisanovs, each wearing a life preserver, jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to save their two daughters. Rabbi Nisanov cannot swim but made a valiant effort to save his daughters’ lives.

“Together with my wife, we jumped in to try to save them. I saw them face-down…I flipped them over. I literally thought I lost both of them. I thought I was going to bury two girls,” Rabbi Nisanov told The Jewish Press. “I did everything in my power to take my girls out of the water.”

“At the scene, Aviva started coughing up water when we took her out onto dry land,” he continued. “Once they [construction workers] took Racheli [out], she wasn’t breathing.” After the crash, the two girls were rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, where Rachel died from head injuries sustained in the collision with the concrete pier. Aviva was in critical condition. “I told my wife it’s not time to cry now – you just have to pray. We’ll have time to cry,” Rabbi Nisanov recalled.

“I’m not bottling it up. I’ve cried many times. I cry every single day. Someone said I have a heart of metal. That’s not correct. I have a heart of peace, but my belief is of metal. That’s why I’m not breaking down,” he concluded.

Rachel’s body was flown from Florida to Israel on August 14 for burial on Har HaMenuchot.

Last week, on Thursday, September 11, around the time, by coincidence, that Rachel would have turned 14 years old, the Nisanovs held a gathering for approximately 600 people at Da Mikelle Palazzo in Forest Hills. Rabbi Nisanov has been a prominent figure in the Bukharian community for the past 35 years, and the shloshim brought out the most prominent people in the tight-knit Bukharian community as well as members of the political community including Queens Assemblyman Sam (Shmuie) Berger (D - Kew Gardens Hills), Queens Democratic District Leader Shimi Pelman, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and New York Board of Rabbis executive vice president Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, who also serves as the chaplain for the New York City Fire Department and the Fraternal Order of Police.

Aviva, who suffered several injuries in the accident, also attended the shloshim. “Everyone gave her hugs and kisses,” Rabbi Nisanov said.

At the gathering, Rabbi Nisanov made reference to a lawsuit that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will be filing against the owner of Prime WaterSports, Esteban Granados, who rented the family the vessels. The owner of the jet ski reportedly fled the scene after the accident. According to Broward County Sheriff’s Office records, Granados has been in and out of Broward jail three times since 2022.

On that fateful day last month, a Fort Lauderdale police unit stopped the teenagers for a minor jet ski violation and discussed safety with them. No citations were issued. Thirty minutes later, they crashed. A 911 caller reported the horrific collision: “They hit really, really hard. I mean, they were going fast.”

“We didn’t start the lawsuit yet. I don’t care about the money. I would give you all the money I have, but it’s not going to bring my daughter back,” Nisanov said. “The inspector in Florida is going to issue an arrest warrant against the owner of the jet ski company because they have been operating very dangerously over the last five years.”

According to public records, Granados has faced more than a dozen boating-related charges since 2020.

This is an ongoing investigation, and it is not clear whether the jet ski operator had proper permits or whether proper instruction was given to the Nisanovs before they boarded the watercraft. They said they were given instructions as this was their first time operating a jet ski. Rabbi Nisanov has called this case a “homicide.” Under Florida law, a person must be 14 years old to operate any kind of personal watercraft, such as a jet ski, and 18 years old to rent one.

Rabbi Nisanov said he has been bothered by the fact that Granados did not extend his condolences to his family and said he would have liked some acknowledgment of sorrow from the owner, without admitting fault.

Data from the FWC’s annual boating accident report shows that there was a total of 685 boating incidents in the state in 2024, with 81 fatalities and nearly 400 injuries. Of these incidents, at least 149 involved personal watercraft such as jet skis. More than half of the personal watercraft accidents were caused by a collision with another vessel. At least 12 people were killed and 113 injured in these crashes.

May Rachel’s memory be for a blessing, and may the family find comfort among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.