On Chanukah, we associate light with the candles or oil burning on the menorah, lighting up a dark room, and creating a warm, atmospheric hue. During these ever-shortening winter days, the Festival of Lights provides the antidote to what for many is a depressing time of year. We welcome this light so warmly, we forget that fire can also be deadly. This year, unfortunately, we were forced to remember.
The tragedy of the Carmel fire has shaken the State of Israel – and by extension the international Jewish community – to its core. Issues of infrastructure, emergency response capabilities, criminal activity, drought, have all been brought to the fore, painfully highlighted by the loss of life and extensive damage to Israel’s precious woodlands.
In this week’s paper, the IJN focuses on the Carmel fire, on the political, environmental, and of course, human reprecussions. Tragically the fire impacted the Denver community directly, with a former DAT educator, Rabbi Uriel Malka, one of the casualties.
The online selection of the IJN’s coverage includes:
- In his View From Denver column, Rabbi Hillel Goldberg shares memories of Rabbi Malka
- Former students of Rabbi Malka’s react
- IJN editorial on international response
- IJN editorial on Rabbi Malka
- Columnist Tehilla Goldberg on the memorial service for Rabbi Malka held at BMH-BJ
- American Jewish response
