Tuesday morning the Jewish Federation professional team arrived in Los Angeles for a regional professional conference of Jewish Federations in the west from British Columbia to Arizona.

Over 200 participants, with half being from the Los Angeles area, attended. That morning we heard talk of a fire in the Pacific Palisades area. Throughout the day, the Angelenos grew more concerned as high winds spread the fire and sparked new ones.

By Wednesday morning, the skies were hazy, and we could smell smoke in the airport hotel (12 miles from the fires). Our colleagues from the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles did not join us that morning -- some had to evacuate from their homes, some stayed with their children at home with schools closed, yet all worked tirelessly to support their affected neighbors. It changed the entire mood at the conference with half the people not there and everyone perceiving the growing danger. It makes you feel different about the emergency when it is actually happening around you! By the time we flew home Wednesday afternoon, the fires were all anyone could talk about.

The ongoing wildfires are devastating Los Angeles. At least ten people have died. Some 400,000 of people have either been evacuated or face potential evacuation warnings. And, more than 10,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed, including several Jewish institutions.

The Eaton fire destroyed the 100 year-old Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center in Pasadena, with a local reporter on the scene saying that the building “crumbled” as the fire raged, with gusts of wind causing the flames to burn hotter, “just melting” the concrete and metal structure. 

One report shared, "Cantor Ruth Berman Harris searched for her husband through the thick smoke that engulfed the Temple. He had been beside her just moments before, but now, as flames closed in and the air grew heavier, he was nowhere in sight. 'Do you have the Torahs?' she shouted, her voice slicing through the chaos, trying to find him amid the suffocating darkness."

Chabad of the Pacific Palisades said that its center and several on site were burned, as were the menorahs outside the center. Thankfully, they evacuated 100+ children at their early childhood center. Plus, with help from volunteers, the Chabad also removed all its Torah scrolls.

Here is a beautiful story about Kehillat Israel synagogue in Pacific Palisades that, fortunately, is still standing.

I know many of us in Greater Portland have family and friends in Los Angeles. Several Portlanders have been sharing with me stories from relatives there -- families evacuated, houses burned down, and some near misses. "It’s just insane," one person emphasized.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland was the first community to open an emergency mailbox to help the people of Los Angeles. 100% of all donations will go to the wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles. We are grateful to the hundreds of people who have already contributed. Please give generously -- you can see the horrible damage.

Our colleagues at the Los Angeles Jewish Federation are in regular contact with emergency services, law enforcement, and federal, state, and local officials. They are coordinating efforts with all the Jewish institutions in the area to meet the needs of their constituents. They have also launched their Resiliency Roundtable, which convenes social service providers city-wide to collaborate on mental health solutions.

The Jewish Federation there has compiled a list of resources (see middle of webpage) to support people (feel free to share with friends and family in LA). The list includes Jewish and government shelters, volunteer opportunities to serve those impacted by the fires, mental health support services, and ways to access warm meals.

I admire how the Los Angeles Jewish Federation has supported its community. It motivates me to make sure our Jewish community is prepared for whatever future disaster may impact Greater Portland. Our Jewish Federation is being planful so we have the resources ready and accessible if and when something happens.

Our hearts are with all Angelenos affected by this ongoing crisis. In times of struggle, the support from our Jewish community always shines.

I should say one thing about the conference. It was an excellent opportunity to meet colleagues from 11 different Jewish Federations, to share ideas, and to develop strategies to enrich our professional work and personal lives.

At the very beginning of the conference, Rabbi Noah Farkas, CEO of the Jewish Federation in Los Angeles (prior to the fire becoming a major issue) spoke to the conference. He had two excellent messages:

• You invest in yourself by investing in others.

• He used an analogy of “wheelchairs and vaccines” as two very different strategies to addressing a challenge (in his example, Polio). One addresses the reality as it is, the other is proactive, positive and future thinking to a time when a challenge has been overcome and people are thriving and a community is “healthy.” Jewish Federations must continue to do the sacred work we have always done while at the same time develop new and different ways to engage more people in Jewish life.

His comments helped set the tone for the remainder of the conference.

On a final note, thank you to those who participated in the webinar -- Become Engaged -- The Challenges of Inter-Generational Conversations About Israel. We hope the session provided you with valuable tools to engage in meaningful and respectful conversations with family and friends.

If you missed the program or would like to revisit it, you can access the recording here. Additionally, here are the texts shared by Rabbi Gardenswartz for your reference.

Let me close with a meaningful thought from Rabbi David Wolpe, Emeritus Rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, "Each year on Yom Kippur the High Priest would pray for the inhabitants of Sharon, a region subject to earthquakes, 'May their houses not become their graves.' In Los Angeles today, because of fire, that prayer strikes home. Please keep the people of LA in your prayers."

Shabbat shalom.