We just heard the devastating news that in middle of the night our synagogue went up in flames!!
Thank G-d the Torah scrolls were saved but all of our other items are gone...
Please help us at this time.
Thank you!
Maryann
On the morning of December 22, 2021, tragedy struck at the heart of our Jewish community in the Almaden neighborhood of San Jose, when a disturbed individual ignited a fire that totally destroyed our newly-opened Chabad center on Branham Lane.
Thank G-d, nobody was hurt in the blaze, and we were able to save our sacred Torah scrolls and other holy books just in the nick of time. Otherwise, almost everything was decimated.
The Chabad House has become a thriving center of community – including a fully-enrolled Hebrew School, a dynamic synagogue, a multifaceted adult education institute, and a headquarters for Shabbat, holiday and outreach programs for the benefit of the community at large.
It is axiomatic of our Jewish psyche and tradition that rather than allow tragedy and destruction to demoralize or discourage us, we use it as a springboard to achieve yet greater heights.
As if to reinforce the fortuitousness of this concept as it relates to our own circumstances, not long after the smoke had cleared our leased facility on Branham Lane, we were informed of an ideally-suited, centrally-located commercial property on Almaden Expressway that had come available for sale. With close to 30,000 square-foot footprint and 8,750 square-feet of usable space, this facility has the potential to serve our community’s needs in the long-term future. Moreover, it would be a home we could call our own!
We are now turning to our friends – like you – to help us take this very timely and pressing effort to the next level. As one who I believe has a profound appreciation for the work we do – the lives we touch and the continuity of community values we engender – I am appealing to you to please contribute, or make a pledge, in whatever amount you can, and help us close on the property!
With deep gratitude and blessings for the good health, safety and security of our loved ones, I remain,
Sincerely,
Rabbi Mendel Weinfeld
