Fire that destroyed Israeli community is suspected arson
Blaze which began in the Ben Shemen forest which spread to Mevo Modi’in community founded by the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, was reportedly started on purpose
A fire that started in the Ben Shemen forest in central Israel which burned down the Mevo Modi’in community founded by the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach is a suspected arson attack.
The fire was one of more than 1,000 fires which burned throughout a very hot and dry Israel from Thursday to Saturday night.
Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service initially blamed the blaze on faulty electric wires, but has since discovered that it had several points of origin, suggesting arson, the Times of Israel reported.
Forty of the 50 homes that make up the community were burned down, as were ten homes in the adjacent community of Kibbutz Harel.
As of Sunday morning the residents had not been able to return to the ruins of their homes. Some reportedly visited the village later in the day.
The residents of the community were staying in the Ben Shemen Youth village. And held a communal Havdalah service at the end of Shabbat on Saturday night, and vowed to rebuild, Ynet reported.
“Although this disaster has befallen us, Shabbat is sweet and gives us life” said Alon Tieger, chairman of the association that runs Mevo Modi’in. “The way people of Israel opened their hearts to us, brought me to tears, and I did not cry when my house was burned.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
