The Fire Raged Around But Miraculously Didn’t Touch The Yeshiva Of Givat Yearim

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — On Sunday afternoon, August 14 at 3 PM, members of the Givat Yearim Educational Center, a yeshiva which caters to boys with learning disorders, ADHD and emotional issues, smelt a sharp smell of fire. Students who looked outside saw a wall of flame moving towards the hilltop community situated south of the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. By 4:15 the sun could not be seen due to the clouds of smoke covering it and at 5 the community was evacuated to nearby Ein Kerem where they stayed for a number of hours. When they realized they could not return to the yeshiva for the night, the administrators found a place in two villas in Kiryat Malachi which were part of a Chabad dormitory. The 60 members of the student body received a warm welcome and a full meal and after sleeping there returned to the yeshiva at 1 PM Monday having received the all-clear from the fire authorities.

When they returned they found that from a green, verdant region they now lived in a black, smoldering charcoal community. Whole hills had been incinerated and it was hard to breathe due to the suffocating smells in the air.

Suddenly at 4 PM a wall of smoke began to rise from the wadi below the community and large flames began approaching once again. The students panicked and began running away, with some suffering panic attacks and others breathing with difficulty. The Sifrei Torah and Tefillin were hurriedly removed and students literally ran for their lives, with every car carrying more people than allowed and driving via dirt paths away from the community. The cars scattered in different directions and it took time to ascertain that everyone had made it out before the fire could cause harm.

Fire approaches the yeshiva

Rabbi Eliyahu Frankel, the rosh yeshiva, told the Yated Neeman newspaper that the staff worked to calm students down and give them emotional support. Everyone was relieved that they had all been saved at the last moment but were concerned that the yeshiva’s buildings would burn down. However they were still worried about the potential damage to the yeshiva.

Amazingly, when they returned they discovered that the fire had stopped at the gates of the yeshiva and there had been no damage to any property or buildings. When official permission is received to return, the yeshiva plans a special celebration of their dramatic rescue.