About a week and a half ago, a devastating fire raced through Khal Horodenke on E. 27th Street in Flatbush, totally destroying the building which contained the Shul and the home of Harav Chanoch Dov Ashkenazi. The cause of the fire is unknown, but the Rav believes that a candle on the Amud may have been the cause. Four Sifrei Torah were rescued from the structure with minor damage. One firefighter was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Khal Horodenke was the one of the first schools in the Flatbush area, having served the community for close to four decades. Rav Ashkenazi is a distinguished Talmud Chochom and Posek. He and his Kehilla have been actively involved in various communal Chesed projects for many years. He has also, unbeknown to most people, personally overextended himself with regard to distribution of funds for the needy.

The fire caused the Rav and Rebbetzin to lose most of their worldly possessions, as well as the Shul which was their life’s mission. The fire left them homeless and helpless with almost nothing left but the clothes on their back. Thousands of Seforim were destroyed and had to be buried as Sheimus. Some immediate chizuk has been provided by kind kehilla and community members who have provided temporary space for the Shul to conduct it’s Minyanim, as well as offers of food and lodging for the Rav and his family.

A major community wide rebuilding campaign is underway, with most Shuls in the Flatbush area having held appeals this past Shabbos for this cause. This campaign is under the auspices of a Rabbinical Advisory Board which includes the Sasregener Rebbe, the V’yelipoler Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff, Rabbi Bentzion Halberstam, Rabbi Yitzchok Steinwurtzel and Rabbi Eliezer Dovid Rappaport.

A selfless group of lay leaders have formed an emergency building committee that will oversee the distributions of funds and the entire rebuilding project: Moshe Caller, Yanky Edelstein, Avrumi Elenbogen, Isaac Greenfeld, Yitzchok Grossman, Chaim Heller, Moshe Aron Neuman, Cheskel Spitzer, Meir Weil and Moshe Weiss.

For more information and to Donate to this campaign, PLEASE CLICK HERE.