‘It’s a miracle.’ Torah scroll saved from fire at a Greenvale synagogue
Roslyn Highlands firefighter Michael Farca realized a section of the basement belonged to the Chabad of Greenvale, and thanks to his quick thinking and strong faith, he reached in and saved a Torah scroll from the fire.
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A fire tore through a commercial building on Northern Boulevard in Greenvale Wednesday morning. More than 60 firefighters battled the thick smoke, but as they made their way to the basement, something caught the eye of one firefighter in particular.
Roslyn Highlands firefighter Michael Farca realized a section of the basement belonged to the Chabad of Greenvale, and thanks to his quick thinking and strong faith, he reached in and saved a Torah scroll from the fire.
"As soon as I saw the ark, my eye went right to it,” said Farca, who is Jewish. “I opened it to see if there was a Torah inside—and sure enough, there was.”
A photo of Farca holding the Torah after pulling it from the smoky basement has gone viral on social media, drawing praise from members of the Chabad of Greenvale.
“We want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” said Igor Shamalov, president of the congregation. “The Torah in Hebrew translates to ‘life.’ It’s our guide. It’s our life. We are very glad it was saved.”
The fire came just after the congregation had finished celebrating a Jewish holiday earlier in the week, making the moment even more meaningful.
No one was inside the building when the fire started. Investigators believe the cause was electrical and say there is no indication of suspicious activity.
