A fire broke out at the Chabad of Greater Orlando headquarters on Sunday morning shortly after Shacharis ended, causing severe damage to the building. Miraculously, the shul’s six Sifrei Torah were saved from the inferno.
Rabbi Sholom Dubov, the executive director of the Chabad, told Fox 35 Orlando, “The fact that we were able to retrieve all six Torahs… is absolutely an act of grace from G-d.” Among the Sifrei Torah was one with a particularly significant history, as it had survived the Holocaust. It had recently been sponsored and brought to the shul, where it was to be used for the first time on Yom Kippur.
Video footage captured the moment two firefighters carried one of the Sifrei Torah out of the burning building, as Rabbi Dubov quickly ran to retrieve it. In the video, one firefighter is seen giving a thumbs up after successfully rescuing the Torah.
The fire, which was reported shortly after 11 a.m., required a two-alarm response from the Seminole County Fire Department. Photos shared on social media showed heavy flames and smoke pouring from the building’s windows. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The Seminole County Fire Rescue say the cause of the blaze is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal. Chabad leaders believe the fire started in the bais medrash, where shacharis had been held shortly before the fire began. They noted that just days before the fire, the large Torah had been moved from the bais medrash to an office because it did not fit in the space—an act that likely spared it from more severe damage.
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One Response
I’ve known Rabbi Dubov thru kashrus connections for at least 35 years, or more. He’s a wonderful person, an איש אמת .