United Hatzalah volunteers rescue Torah scrolls from Jerusalem synagogue fire

Most emergencies are measured in human terms. How many people were injured? How serious are their wounds? How quickly did help arrive?

There are also instances when United Hatzalah volunteers are called upon to help animals affected by an emergency. But the organization is rarely called upon to rescue objects.

That was what happened last week when United Hatzalah volunteers responded to a fire at a synagogue on Sha’arei Pina Street in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood.

A fire is always frightening. Thankfully, there were no injuries. But several Torah scrolls were severely damaged, with United Hatzalah volunteers rushing into the building to help rescue some of the most precious objects in Jewish life.

The timing of the fire, just days after Yom Kippur and shortly before Simchat Torah, carries particular meaning. Simchat Torah marks the completion of the annual cycle of Torah reading. Yet there is almost no pause before the Jewish cycle begins again. Almost in the same breath that the final verses of the Torah are read, we immediately return to the opening words of Genesis.

For volunteers, that sense of continuity is particularly familiar. In emergency medicine, they often begin exactly where someone else left off. Advanced life support medics and paramedics continue the care already provided by an EMT, just as hospital professionals continue the treatment that began in the field.

The principle of Kol Yisrael arevim zeh lazeh, that the Jewish people are responsible for one another, is a value that the organization’s nearly 10,000 volunteers live by every day. This time, however, it was not someone who needed rescuing, but something we all hold dear: Torah scrolls.

Importance of a Torah scroll: Far more than parchment and ink

A Torah scroll is far more than parchment and ink. It carries the story, tradition, and identity of the Jewish people. Its teachings have shaped Jewish life for generations and continue to influence the values by which Jews live today.

Just as Jews devote themselves first and foremost to protecting human life, United Hatzalah also protects sacred objects when they are threatened, as the organization’s workers helped rescue those Torah scrolls from the flames.

For the organization’s volunteers, it is all about that familiar rhythm – one emergency ends, another begins – as they care for and protect what matters most.