The person who broke into a Sunnyvale synagogue office sometime over the weekend and stole computers, phones and software made off with not just equipment, but the recorded heart of a community.
Since Chabad of Sunnyvale opened three years ago, it has offered services for Jewish families that now number more than 500. No financial information about any of them was stolen, but hundreds of kids waiting to go to summer camp will have to register all over again. And Rabbi Yisroel Hecht must somehow re-create years' worth of historical data about programs and people.
Jewish group’s big loss in theft
VITAL RECORDS TAKEN ALONG WITH EQUIPMENT
The person who broke into a Sunnyvale synagogue office sometime over the weekend and stole computers, phones and software made off with not just equipment, but the recorded heart of a community.
Since Chabad of Sunnyvale opened three years ago, it has offered services for Jewish families that now number more than 500. No financial information about any of them was stolen, but hundreds of kids waiting to go to summer camp will have to register all over again. And Rabbi Yisroel Hecht must somehow re-create years’ worth of historical data about programs and people.
Hecht, who believes the burglary was not an anti-Semitic act, has remained so calm in the aftermath that even his wife wondered why. His answer comes from an old Yiddish saying that translates, “After a fire, you get blessings.”
The first blessing? The room with the group’s religious artifacts was not entered.
Police say this incident is one in a series of burglaries in the area. Hecht said police told him that dental offices recently have been targeted, and Chabad’s rooms are located in a building occupied by several dentists’ offices.
The secretary at Chabad of Sunnyvale discovered the break-in Monday morning when she came in to work and noticed a broken window and a mess.
“We are grateful the synagogue was not harmed,” Hecht said, “but from a financial standpoint this is devastating.”
Machines can be replaced, but the reconstruction of records will take a long time. That task might have been easier, except the thieves also took many of the backup files.
aka
terrible, makes us all more aware of the importance of backing up data and storing off site.
Good point!!
shluchim!! please please back up all your data and keep it off site!! it saved me twice.. once i had a flood and once my very "competent" secretary erased everything… like nike says….."just do it"!!! dont wait….
From counselors in previous years
These Shluchim Rabbi Yisroel and Miriam Hecht have poured their heart and soul into camp over the past few years and it is a terrible shame for this to happen to them. We have great memories of their wonderful camp and the way we were treated and we are sure that with the Rebbe’s brochos they will soon rebuild to their former glory and beyond.
Keep up your tremendous work
rivky
To good point:
give your secretary a brake!
everybody makes mistakes!
can you remember your last mistake?
anyway, I agree with you, back up all information, I know someone who lost pictures af a full year and could not replace them.
good yom tov!