This Chanukah, a fire prevention program was welcomed by hundreds of students at Talmudical Academy and Bnos Yisroel in Baltimore, Maryland.  This innovative, exciting program was presented by “Maccabee Aish” in partnership with the “Chessed Fund”, and is a novelty in the Jewish community.  The project began in 2005, as a result of the increasing rate of fire related deaths and severe burns resulting from religious observances.  The program founder believes that through educating Jewish children of the additional fire hazards faced by observant practice, we can prevent future deaths and injuries.  Traditional fire safety prevention programs do not address the specialized needs of a Jewish family.

“We need to recognize that we are exposed to additional risk of fire accidents on a weekly basis by lighting shabbos candles, leaving the stove lit, havdolah, to name a few. We must be diligent in preventing unnecessary fires and burns” says Dr. Eli Goldstein, founder of Maccabee Aish, Jewish Fire Prevention.

The newest addition to the Maccabee Aish program has tackled this problem.  Their first stop was Talmudical Academy and today they visited Bnos Yisroel.  Students toured the first Jewish Fire Safety House in the world.  The two-story trailer has the arrangement of a Jewish home, down to the Mezuzahs on each door post.  The children first walked through the kitchen, learning about NO-GO ZONES, and safety in relation to blechs, crocks pots, hot water pumps, and other staples found in a Jewish home.  They became familiar with fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors which were found in every room.  In the upstairs bedroom, the children watched a video on fire safety.  In addition, the children were shown a fire escape ladder in the window, and taught how to escape through this route, if necessary.  In the living room, there were shabbos licht, a havdolah tray with candles, and a menorah displayed prominently in the window.  The tour stressed the importance of having two exit escape routes in every bedroom.  A fire escape route was mapped out and implemented to allow the children to understand how to put it into practice.  The teachers praised the hands on approach that the trailer provided for the students to learn about fire safety in the Jewish home.  “It was especially important for the students to see fire safety in real life situations: shabbos candles, bedikas chometz…one windowsill even had a menorah.  This program gave the children a heightened awareness of the dangers presented by fire specifically in the Jewish home” says Morah Sara Horovitz. During the tour, each child was given a fire hat, a junior chief maccabee badge, and an activity book.  The children finished the program prepared for a safe Chanukah and holidays all through the year.  Throughout Chanukah this important program will be travelling to schools in the Baltimore area.  Future plans include traveling to Lakewood, Philadelphia, Silver Spring, and other Jewish communities.    
Maccabee Aish presents the following safety tips for a safe Chanukah:

WHEN LIGHTING THE MONORAH:

• NEVER leave Chanukah candles unattended and NEVER go to sleep while Chanukah candles are burning

• Place the menorah on a sturdy heat resistant surface away from anything that can catch fire including walls, curtains, cabinets, wooden and plastic tables, tablecloths…

• Light the candles out of children’s reach and where they cannot be knocked over!

• Keep surfaces and surrounding areas clear from burned matches, wick trimmings, oil residue, and other debris

• NEVER light “school project” menorahs made from flammable materials (wood, plastic, etc.)

WHEN COOKING LATKES:

• Keep small children away from hot oil and cooking areas

• Keep pot handles turned inward and away from the edge of the stove

• Use extra caution when carrying hot food around children

• Designate ovens, stoves and heat containing appliances as NO GO ZONES for children

• Keep hands, hair and sleeves away from open flame

• NEVER put water on a grease fire, use a fire extinguisher and call the Fire Dept. emergency number

• Treat burns immediately by cooling with cool water (not cold) and call your local emergency response number

ALWAYS REMEMBER:

• Supervise children at all times, especially around lit candles, flames, and hot appliances

• Have working smoke detectors

• Have/ and practice a family fire emergency escape plan with a designated family meeting area outside of your house

• Proper fire safety planning and prevention can help keep you and your family safe

For more tips on fire safety for the Jewish community or to bring this program to your community, visit the Maccabee Aish website at www.jewishfireprevention.org

YWN PHOTO ALBUM: Click HERE for photos.

(YWN Desk – NYC)