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[Click HERE for photos] As the evacuation orders spread throughout San Diego County, the realization so many in the Jewish Community may be displaced for Shabbos became very real.
Hatzolah of Los Angeles jumped into action knowing that their help was needed. A few phone calls to Chabad of Poway revealed that they would be hosting
300 – 500 people for the upcoming Shabbos. Within minutes members of Hatzolah were working the phones to local area merchants and suppliers explaining the need for Shabbos food and other vital supplies. They were informed of a boy who recently had his Bar Mitzvah, whose house burned to the ground with his new Tallis and Teffilin still inside. Working their connections within the neighborhood, they secured a new set, along with extra Siddurim and other reading materials for evacuees and displaced families to enjoy over Shabbos. Within a few hours, volunteers from each of the Hatzolah neighborhoods fanned out all over the city to pick up the promised supplies and meet at a central location to get it all loaded.
The Ambulance all loaded, three Hatzolah volunteers began their trek to the San Diego Area of Poway. Once they arrived in Poway, they delivered the supplies to Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein at Chabad of Poway and heard stories of the destruction that befell that community. The members met with Mr. Okansky, who lost his entire house along with his sister’s house next door, and offered moral support during this hard time. Hatzolah members then proceeded to Qualcomm Stadium to assist with relief efforts.
“This was a very moving experience” one member was heard saying, “no one should know from such destruction”.
(YW-1412 / YW-LA1)
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11 Responses
its truly amazing….eis tzorah l’yaakov….yaakov is a ‘prat’ very localized.the jewish community came together and made a kiddush hashem.this is all part of chevlei meshiach. the success of our bretheren brings meshiach closer. kol yisroel areivin zei l’zei. if we could learn to be like this all the time ,even without fires, we will bring meshiach bkrov mamesh.
me k’amcha?!!
Mention should also be made of a Rav in San Diego, a true Tzaddik, Rav Baruch Lederman, shlit”a. He’s the Rav of Kehillas Torah (www.kehillastorah.org). He too played a major role in assisting the San Diego community. This past Friday his weekly newsletter (shulweek) began with the following:
Dear Readers, Allow me to thank all of the many many people from around the world that called and emailed us during the San Diego fires to express their concern for our well being and to offer help. Many of our congregants were evacuated, and at the time of this mailing, most have been allowed to reenter their homes. We spent much of our time and effort during the crisis, helping and comforting these families. Happily for us, our home and our shul were not in the evacuation zone although it was quite close. We could see the flames and smoke from our house. Nonetheless our location was safe and our house became a shelter for evacuees from the Rancho Bernardo area. We are happy to be alive and healthy and able to resume our normal lives. We were touched by the outpouring of help and concern from our fellow Jews around the world. Sincerely, Rabbi Baruch Lederman
Its great to mention the tzadik, Rav Lederman, but with all due respect, he seems to have been much more of a recipient than anything else.
I have been watching the tremendous kiddush Hashem the Lubobs are pulling off over there by being (key word) “proactive” going out and helping thousand at the stadium, even the work that hatzolah is doing is being coordinated with the (15 chabads in the area, in it of itself a mind boggling number of Chabad houses, they obviously do much during the year as well). Hosting hundreds of fire fighters etc…
I am not lubob, but c’mon lets be honest with ourselves….
Dear Yochi from comment #4. What part of “our house became a shelter for evacuees from…” sounds to you like a recipient? With all due respect do you have some kind of insecurities?
Ahem…
The part that I heard from an actual firefighter in the area, how is that?? As I wrote in my last comment, many thanx to the Rav, but I think that hatzolah and the others who are going out are making a tremendous kiddush Hashem.
As for those who are excepting guests and “help and concern” kudos to them as well (ich nem nisht avak fun zey) all I am talking about are the groups who are working hard while being recognized by the LA Times, USA Today, Countless TV stations…. It speaks for itself. Fact that the shul took in its congregates, would you have expected otherwise?? This is about being PROACTIVE!!!
Bimcheelas kivoidcha – ich main oz doo nemts yah, asach aveck fun zei! I don’t understand why you are saying he is “more of a recipient” for turning his house into a shelter for the evacuees from Rancho Bernardo area, not just his congregants! And even if it were only his congregants I don’t see the nafka meena. You are correct, what this gaon and tzaddik shlit”a did wasn’t reported in the Times and USA Today, viode viode, it was purely lishem shamayim (not that others weren’t) and that’s exactly why I sent it in to the yeshiva world.
Well I will man up and tell you sorry , that is not what I meant.
My point is only that the lubobs and hatzalah and all the others deservecredit for what they are doing.
There may be others like the tzadikil you told us about.
Dear Reb Yochi – You should be gebenched and have only bracha v’hatzlacha!
may Hashem grant all of these wonderful people who helped much bracha and hatzlacha.
Mi Kamcha Yisroel Ve goe