Picking up the pieces in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire
My wife and I got married in 2000 and moved to the area shortly after we got married so I could start my double master’s program at Hebrew Union College and USC. I was excited at the opportunity to see and experience the Rose Parade in person when we moved to Pasadena. Growing up in the Bay Area, I loved waking up on New Year’s Day to watch the parade. Having been here for over 20 years, I have truly appreciated the idea that on January 1, Pasadena is the “center of the world.”
However, less than a week after the floats paraded down Colorado Avenue this year, how could we have known that our area would again be the center of attention, only this time because of the fires?
Over the last several weeks, following the destruction of the Eaton fire and the Palisades fire, our Jewish Federation has been actively working to provide support and assistance to the local Jewish community members who lost their homes and were forced to evacuate, many not knowing if (or when) they might be able to return to their homes.
From the beginning, my focus in leading our Jewish Federation’s effort was to provide as much humanity and dignity as possible to those who have been adversely affected. While it has been truly remarkable to see the outpouring of donations nonprofits have collected – toiletries, clothing, furniture, and many other things. However, I think what people have forgotten, or maybe never considered, is what it would be like to be on the receiving end of the donation. What would it feel like if they had to be the ones to pick through the piles of donations, often someone else’s “leftovers.” It was as if people were more focused on how their support made them feel instead of what it made the recipient feel like.
As our Jewish Federation has been working closely with the Jewish Federation Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to tour my colleagues around our area so they could see both the support efforts and some of the sites. This included driving by the Santa Anita Racetrack Distribution Center, where piles of clothing were strewn in the parking lot, alongside pallets of water, paper towels, diapers, and other items. It was hard to fathom what it must be like to have to dig through those piles to refill one’s wardrobe and, ultimately, their new dressers and closets.
One shining light in all of this destruction and chaos, which really should surprise no one, has been the outpouring of support, camaraderie, and togetherness. People have come together to do whatever they could to help those in need, oftentimes at a moment’s notice, even opening their homes to perfect strangers. Restaurants offered free meals to those who had been impacted and supported the firefighters as they came off the frontlines of the fire. The true meaning of community has been on full display and should remind all of us of the power being a part of a community provides.
Our community was forever changed on January 7. It is unclear at this time when and if we will ever be whole again. But I’m hopeful that the caring and support will continue and that our community can become stronger and more united as a result of this disaster.
Jason Moss is executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Greater
San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.
