By COLlive reporter
The Chabad House serving Almaden Valley, a neighborhood of San Jose, California, was destroyed in a fire that was discovered on Wednesday morning.
Neighbors of the two-story building at 1088 Branham Lane saw the flames and called a member of the community.
Chabad’s director Rabbi Mendel Weinfeld reported that the Torah scrolls were able to have been saved.
The fire department was able to put out the flames, revealing a devastating result. The floor on the second floor and ceiling of the first was torn into and whatever was in the rooms was burned.
“The building was totaled,” he told COLlive.com, noting that the destruction of the building that housed a synagogue and Hebrew School is “a very big loss.”
Police are investigating the cause, said the rabbi who runs Chabad together with his wife Mussie Weinfeld.
Maryann Barsky, a member of the community, launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the rebuilding of the Chabad House which served as a Jewish community center.
“In the shadow of the fire, and amongst the ashes, a light of unity will shine brighter and much longer than the fire of destruction,” she wrote.
“We ask of the community to come together with love, support, and togetherness to help rebuild Chabad!”
To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/rebuildchabad
יה”ר שיתקיים בהם אחר השריפה מתעשרים.
Was there fire insurance? If there was they will pay for the rebuild
This is just so awful. Such devestation. May the Chabad House grow bigger and better! May Hashem protect his shluchim!
Apparently security cameras got footage, and someone was seen lighting fire in garage. A bunch of homeless people were near it and they use to camp in the garage of the building while it was a kids dance school.