Devastated Jewish Communities Rally to Support Members as California Wildfires Rage

A fast-moving fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, January 8, threatening one of Los Angeles’s most iconic spots as firefighters were already battling three other major blazes that killed five people, put 130,000 people under evacuation orders, and ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena.

Nearly 1,900 structures have been destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, and the number is expected to increase. The fires that have been raging since Tuesday have ravaged some local Jewish communities, whose leaders are striving to offer comfort amid the disaster.

Though the fire in the Palisades continues to blaze, the building that houses the Kehillat Israel synagogue remains standing, for now. The same, however, could not be said for the homes of many of the community’s 920 families, including that of Daniel Sher, the associate rabbi.

“We lost our home today,” he told Israeli media as he choked back tears. Still, he did not want to focus on his personal loss, saying, “It’s not even so much about the loss of your own home, though I will not lie that that is devastating. The whole area has been desecrated, and every five minutes, I’m learning of more families who have lost their homes,” Sher said.

Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, was up all night with his staff doing everything they could to support the Jewish community.

“This is all too familiar,” Farkas told the Israeli news outlet, referencing several fires over the years that have impacted Southern California. “But in many ways, it’s also completely unprecedented,” he added, “having four fires simultaneously.” (TOI/VFI News)

“Dear Lord, we pray in Yeshua’s name for all the people who have been affected by the California fires. We pray for their physical and mental health and that You will provide for all their needs. Please, help those who have lost their homes find permanent housing after this tragedy is over and restore the injured to health. We send our sincerest condolences to everyone who has lost a family member and we pray that You comfort them and take complete care of them until they regain clarity and strength to support themselves and their loved ones.”