The destruction was absolutely devastating.

The talmidim of the yeshiva were left in utter shock.

The blaze that broke out at Yeshiva Chayei Olam’s building on Faraday in Lakewood on Motzoei Shabbos leveled the structure, leaving ruin and damage in its wake. Sadly a Sefer Torah perished in the blaze as well.

The fire, which broke out at 3 a.m., is believed to have been caused by a boiler malfunction. Thankfully, the yeshiva was on an off-Shabbos, so the building was empty and no one was hurt. But in a matter of minutes, an entire yeshiva building had gone up in flames.

The bochurim of the yeshiva are shaken up about what had happened to their yeshiva. They are taking it very much to heart.

“Our goal is to turn destruction and tragedy into growth and expansion,” says the Menahel, Rav Lazer Yudel Bromberg. Together with the Rosh Hayeshiva R’ Chaim Eli Ungar they are being mechanech bochurim to look at their struggles and challenges as opportunities for their aliyah and growth. “With the upheaval we have experienced, we are looking at it as an opportunity to grow and develop the yeshiva infrastructure, turning a tragic occurrence into a turning point for Yeshiva Chayei Olam.”

The yeshiva has been relocated to a temporary location just to get the yeshiva and its talmidim through the next period of time.

As the yeshiva moves forward, Chayei Olam is immediately starting a search for a property to establish a permanent building that it can call its own to house the 9th, 10th and 11th grades and incoming 12th grades.

Prior to this week’s fire, the yeshiva had been on the cusp of launching a fundraising campaign for a new building. Now, with the fire at the yeshiva’s rented quarters, the impetus for a building campaign is of greater magnitude than ever.

Yeshiva Chayei Olam has launched a fundraising campaign to enable it to procure a much-needed building The 1 Million Dollar goal is to secure a deposit to purchase a much needed home.