As reported on COLlive last week, a wildfire tore through the city of Calabasas, CA burning hundreds of acres and forcing the Shliach and his family to quickly evacuate their home on Shabbos afternoon.
With miracles and good firefighting, the home, which is also the Chabad House, was spared from the flames by a few feet. But the property suffered extensive fire and smoke damage and as a result the Friedmans were forced to find alternative lodging, and they are still not back in their home.
For Shavuos, determined not to cancel or alter the Yomtov and Aseres Hadibros schedule for the local community, they rented a large tent for the Davening, moved into a friend’s house a few blocks away from their uninhabitable home, and the result was a beautiful Shavuos between the scorched hills surrounding the house.
A GoFundMe page was launched this week to assist them. Anat and Zeev Zanzuri, balebatim and friends of the Friedmans and the Chabad House, together with Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, Shliach to Colorado University in Boulder, CO, joined to host the page and help their friends.
Everyone is invited to participate in this Mitzvah and great Kiddush Hashem.
Click here to help:
https://www.gofundme.com/chabadofcalabasas
I love that Rabbi Eli Friedman. He’s as smart as his father and good hearted as his uncles.
Bless you Rabbi.