Chabad in British Columbia a Vital Lifeline From Wildfires’ Destruction

by Karen Schwartz – chabad.org

As thousands of people continue to be evacuated following the damage and destruction wrought by wind-swept fires swirling in and around Kelowna, British Columbia, the local Chabad center and Jewish community are providing supplies and lodging for anyone in need.

Dr. Juliette Alpert lives in a neighborhood that hasn’t been directly impacted by the fire and took in two families, including a family of five. She had heard about a massive fire in the area 20 years ago, but it was nothing like this, she said. For much of the last week, the area around the popular Okanagan Lake resort has been engulfed in thick smoke—the result of hundreds of nearby wildfires and many larger ones that continue to plague western Canada.

A few days ago, Alpert drove to the Okanagan Chabad House in Kelowna and picked up a package for a family that had lost their house. The next day, she went back and got some fruits and vegetables for a second family that moved in with her. While food is available in the area, some staples are in short supply. “It’s nice that there’s a place for those in need to get food and supplies,” she told Chabad.org, adding that “it isn’t just for Jewish people; it’s for anyone that needs help.”

Alpert says she knows other people who’ve lost their homes, as well as many people who have been evacuated and don’t know if their houses are still standing. She says she has been reassured by how Chabad jumped into action when the fires hit, connecting with community members to see what they needed as the fire continued to spread. “They spoke to everyone, they got donations to put up these kits and food and support that other people need,” she says.

Reaching Out to the Community

Fraidy Hecht, co-director of the Okanagan Chabad House, said that she could see the flames from her front window—first on the other side of the bridge in West Kelowna and then on her side of the bridge. She and her husband, co-director Rabbi Shmuel Hecht, have never seen fire so close by, she said. “We never had to worry about it before,” she said.

Rabbi Hecht added that the fires this year are different than any he’s seen in the 13 years they have served the community. “This fire’s still burning,” he noted. “The speed and viciousness of the fire is unreal.”

When the fires started to threaten the area, the Hechts immediately started going through their phones and reaching out, sometimes with the help of their children, to community members, including those who live up the mountains, offering their Chabad center for people to stay in and making sure everyone had somewhere to stay.

Last Friday, Mel Hanna and Goldie Love were told to leave their home in West Kelowna. They drove straight to the rabbi’s house, where they stayed until Tuesday, when it was safe to return home. “He had phoned us first because the fires were going on, and said, ‘If you have any problems just phone us and come on in, and that’s what we did,’ ” said Hanna.

He worried about how their home would be impacted but spent the days chatting with the rabbi and his family, as well as people who came through the Chabad.“It was a really good discussion and a good place to be at that time,” says Hanna. “I thought it was fantastic.”

He returned home to find his house was part of a lucky several-block stretch that had been left unscathed by the fires.

After making sure that people were safe, the Hechts started working on putting together care packages, which give evacuees the ability to bring something back to their host’s home or to give hosts a way to get additional supplies they might need.

The Jewish community stepped up to offer support, from opening their homes to guests to pitching in to get them and their hosts supplies, says Rabbi Hecht. “Everybody caring about everybody … it is a beautiful community effort.”

Word of the project has spread—it’s now been covered on local newspapers and broadcasts—and is positively impacting the broader community as well.

“When you’re hosting guests you need more toilet paper, more tissues, more shampoo, basic household items. We also made more loaves of challah for Shabbat than ever before.” Volunteers have been delivering the packages, giving evacuees time to talk and a chance to express themselves as well.

Volunteers Help Ease Unimaginable Stress

A nearby camp that had to close offered Chabad fresh fruits and vegetables, so it is distributing those in addition to previously planned gifts of toiletries, pillows and homemade challah.

These are difficult times for people who lost their property, and also for those who had to evacuate and are waiting for word if their homes have burned down, explains Fraidy Hecht. “There’s so much uncertainty. Being a guest in people’s houses for so long—we’re hoping a little beacon of light, a little joy, a little happiness, to bring to these people during this stressful hardship can ease the stress a little bit for these people.”

People are uplifted by the ability to be supported and also to support others, says Rabbi Hecht, noting that they’ve been getting helpful donations, such as from a man who found out they were low on dog and cat food and dropped some off.

Going forward, Chabad plans to help with cleanups and offer listening ears for people wanting to come talk.

With Rosh Hashanah just around the corner, the rabbi said they’re going to work on looking ahead. “We’re going to emphasize how it’s a new year, with new energy,” he says. “We’re going to try and have some beautiful messages of renewal and how each year brings with it new blessings… so it can be a source of healing and hope.”

Those wishing to donate to the fire relief effort can do so here.