He was further relieved when the visitors found that a pair of Torah arks created by former camp artist-in-residence Helen Burke had survived. One had been dubbed the “Little Ambassador.”At least 41 people have been killed as the result of 15 major wildfires across California. Over 217,000 acres and 5,700 structures have been destroyed.The group made the 15-minute hike to the 6-foot Star of David, at which campers traditionally scream “I love being Jewish!” The wooden symbol “was completely untouched, surrounded by hundreds of yards of blackened brush,” Arquilevich told J.Most of Jewish Camp Newman's buildings destroyed in wildfire but not before Torah scrolls saved https://t.co/305FRQSDv3@URJCampNewman pic.twitter.com/NQWTQBkPHU
— Lisa Fernandez (@ljfernandez) October 10, 2017
The bimah of an amphitheater was heavily damaged, and all the nearby sheds were charred — “except for this one shed that contains our sacred texts and our prayer books and the tallitot,” Arquilevich said.“It was completely intact,” he said. “We all just about broke into tears there because the tallitot were safe. That was just another miracle and just so moving. It pointed in the direction we’re going, with the idea that Camp Newman will continue.”Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, which owns and runs the 480-acre camp east of Santa Rosa, joined Arquilevich for the tour of the site. He said officials are determined to hold camp in 2018. About 1,400 children attend Camp Newman each summer, and 40 to 50 staffers come from Israel to work as counselors.“We will have camp this summer,” Jacobs said. “I can’t tell you exactly where or how.”High above the destroyed buildings of camp Newman, our untouched star stands resolute as a symbol of undying hope #newmanstrong pic.twitter.com/urs6ol1CLk
— NFTY SAVP (@NFTYSAVP) October 12, 2017