Fire brings out giving spirit as community rebuilds


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I’m watching the Fire Aid concert in Los Angeles tonight, serving as a chaperone for young musicians from Pacific Palisades who were impacted by the recent fires. Though our home remains standing, we’re still unable to return, possibly for years to come.

My emotions are overwhelming as I sit here with my eldest daughter, a multi-instrumentalist who’s completely mesmerized by her musical heroes performing on stage. Earlier this week, we visited the fire zone after President Donald Trump’s intervention convinced Mayor Karen Bass to grant residents access to assess their losses.

The devastation brought tears to her eyes, yet seeing our neighbors salvaging precious memories – from ceramic figurines to fragments of school projects – helped restore her smile.

Tonight, we’re seated near Steve Ballmer, the billionaire who’s matching all donations, while I’m wearing a coat from a charity rack. My own wardrobe is unusable, tainted by smoke that penetrated our home despite the protective barrier of ficus trees that saved our house from the flames.

Ironically, I’d placed bags of clothing for donation in my driveway just days before the fire. Now, I find myself wearing someone else’s generosity. While I could purchase a new coat, there hasn’t been time for such considerations amid weeks of sleepless nights and constant upheaval.

The coat came from outside the Chabad House in Malibu, near where I’d treated some Israeli firefighters to lunch. Initially, I left it, thinking others might need it more, but retrieved it later when it remained unclaimed.

This experience has revealed the circular nature of giving and receiving. While I accepted the coat, I’ve shared equipment from my garage with a displaced personal trainer, and another fire victim has been delivering fresh produce to our temporary accommodation, knowing how challenging shopping has become with four children in cramped quarters.

As a journalist covering the disaster, I’ve found myself wearing multiple hats – helping residents document damage, search for pets, assist law enforcement with missing persons cases, and coordinate with firefighters about preserving church relics.

The concept of charity has taken on new meaning here, where affluent residents have suddenly lost everything. It’s not about justice – my house stands while the rabbi’s burned. Some lost insurance coverage mere days before disaster struck.

In Jewish tradition, even the poorest must give charity, highlighting the interconnected nature of giving and receiving. As one rabbi observed while surveying the ruins, those who receive charity often give more to the giver than they receive.

The Fire Aid concert embodies this spirit of resilience. Billy Crystal, who lost his own home, opened with humor amid tragedy. As I watch Pink channel Janis Joplin, explaining the legend to my daughter, I feel strangely optimistic about our future, despite the challenges ahead.