One year ago, I was driving back from the airport after dropping off our cousin who had visited from NY. The crisp evening air smelled like a campfire. I wondered about the strong winds on Richmond overpass. As a precaution, I rolled up our Sukkah bamboo mat so the wind wouldn't lift it off the sukkah.
We woke up the next morning to an apocalyptic scene. Ash covered cars, the sky a fiery red, air thick with smoke. The next days were a blur of N95 masks, evacuation centers, checking in with friends, praying that the fires be contained. The love in the air was truly thicker than the smoke, with countless volunteers stepping up, stockpiles of donated goods, homes and hearts opened.
When the dust finally settled, the Tubbs fire was declared California's most destructive wildfire. Entire neighborhoods in nearby Santa Rosa had been burned. Every one of us knew someone who had lost a home.
While the county has begun to rebuild, the impact of the fires won't soon be forgotten. Nor should it be. The Ba'al Shem Tov taught that everything that we encounter should teach us something, it should inform our life going forward.
If we, by divine design, were in such close proximity to the fires, then our lives should be different as a result. Perhaps it is our perspective on what we hold most dear, perhaps it is the unconditional willingness to help a perfect stranger.
This Tuesday evening we will be hosting a special evening In Light of the Fires - An Evening of Recovery with Rabbi Shais Taub, a noted author and speaker on Trauma Recovery. He will address these topics as well as others such as How to cope with loss? Are natural disasters really "natural"? and Why does Life test us?
The event will take place at Sonoma State University on Tuesday, October 16, 7pm.
Please RSVP for this important event: