When I was 9 years old, my city went up in flames. The Woolsey is the first California fire that I was old enough to remember, and as a 4th grader, I was sheltered from much of the devastation. I didn’t watch the news; I didn’t sit and listen to numerous friends and family tell me that their houses had burned down. All I really understood was that there was a fire, it was smokey, and that meant I got to skip school for a few days. However, as I looked out the car window in the places near my home those next few months, whole sections were scorched. Blackened by the fire that had ravaged those communities just months before. Even now, 6 years later, there are still sections of highway and canyon that look just as they did in those first days after the fire. 

I know fire: I know what it feels like to see flames from the top of the hill, across the valley that is just a few miles away from my house. The Palisades fire was the first time I was actually able to understand what that meant. This time, when school was canceled and my house lost power, I spent that first night glued to the news, as so many others did as well, tracking every update possible. However, something else occurred over the next few days that I hadn’t expected. In a time when I looked outside and everything was orange or smelled like smoke, or ash was falling into the backyard, people from all around the world reached out to check on my family and offer us a place to stay if the need arose. The outpouring of love and support was felt by this entire city - everyone I talked to had received similar messages. 

While the support from outside of Los Angeles was beautiful, what was even better was the way that this city came together to support one another. It was something I feel so lucky to have witnessed. Two nights ago, I attended the FireAid benefit concert, which was raising money for short-term wildfire relief and long-term efforts to rebuild. Music is one of my favorite things in the world, and it felt like I was witnessing something truly historical as so many people came together to support the city and enjoy music at a time when it is so important to stick together and support one another. It felt very special to be there, and it was an experience that I will never forget. Additionally, so many people in LA mobilized as soon as the fires started. Pacific Western Region organized forms to fill out for people who needed somewhere to stay, and people who were able to host families that had been displaced. One of the BBGs in my region, my friend Bree Gold, organized a charity drive specifically for teenage girls who lost everything in the fires. Bree says, “I was inspired by the act of Chesed [kindness] and Tikkun Olam [repairing the world]. We often feel the need to help but don’t always know where to start. This is a great way to make a real difference. I am connected to my Jewish identity more now than ever, and I want to come together as a Jewish community, using the words Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh [all of Israel is responsible for one another]” (Gold). 

Bree isn’t the only Angeleno that put in the work to support their friends, neighbors, and strangers who needed help after this disaster. In fact, so many donation centers and volunteers popped up everywhere in the days following the fires. In such a scary time, it was beautiful and inspiring to witness how, in times of crisis, people come together to make the world a better place.