On the eve of Israel's independence, in the heart of the Hebron Hills, three religious kibbutzim operated in succession – Kfar Etzion, Massuot Yitzhak, and Ein Tzurim. Within temporary wooden structures and complex living circumstances, the settlers safeguarded six Torah scrolls that had reached them through various routes. One was written in Warsaw in honor of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, another was rescued during Kristallnacht in Austria by a woman from the Shmueli family who asked the Nazis to save it from the burning synagogue; and others were donated by Jewish communities in Europe and the United States.

As the battles of the War of Independence intensified and the settlements faced destruction, the Torah scrolls became their most precious spiritual assets. Some were buried in the ground and later taken into captivity. Nachum Levavi and Yehuda Fast from Massuot Yitzhak dug a hole at night, wrapped the scrolls, and recited Kaddish by the light of a small flashlight. "We never imagined we would have to bury Torah scrolls in our own settlement," they testified.

However, ultimately, the people of Massuot Yitzhak changed their minds, and four scrolls – two from Massuot Yitzhak and two from Ein Tzurim – were taken into captivity. In Ein Tzurim, Simcha Cohen and Yosef Schlesinger carried the scrolls – one heavy and ornate, the other borrowed from Kfar Etzion. From Massuot Yitzhak, Rachel Shmueli carried her family's Torah scroll that her mother-in-law had rescued and brought to Israel, while kibbutz member Eliezer Bashan carried "the small scroll from Poland," apparently written by a scribe who perished in the Holocaust.

The captives took the Torah scrolls with them to the Um al-Jimal camp in the Jordanian desert. There, the scrolls became the focus of spiritual life. Shmuel Bezek, among the captives from the Jewish Quarter, described the moment when the Gush captives arrived: "From the side appear the people of Ein Tzurim and Massuot, carrying Torah scrolls in their arms." On Simchat Torah, seventy-seven hakafot (processions) were held. Rabbi Shaar Yashuv Hacohen called the Torah scrolls "the heart of the camp."

On the day the women were released, June 8, 1948, the Shmueli family Torah scroll was carried by Rachel Shmueli in a moving procession to Kfar Yona. The Torah scrolls that were with the men returned months later, in a symbolic ceremony held near the Yeshurun Synagogue in Jerusalem, led by IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren, accompanied by a military canopy. "Women showered candies, others burst into cheers," reported the press of that period.

Gush Etzion historian Joseph Spanier began his research following a photo taken by David Rubinger on Israel's first Independence Day – a Torah scroll carried under a military canopy in Jerusalem, identified as a scroll from Kfar Etzion. But how did a Torah scroll from Kfar Etzion return – if all three of its scrolls were considered lost? The research revealed that one of the scrolls had been loaned to Ein Tzurim, and it's possible that this was the one that survived and returned. Its current whereabouts are unknown, and its story is still being researched.

Of the original six scrolls: Two from Kfar Etzion – lost, desecrated, or burned. Four survived the battles – two from Massuot Yitzhak, two from Ein Tzurim.

Three exist today – the Shmueli scroll resides in a yeshiva in Susya, the small scroll from Poland returned to Massuot Yitzhak, and the heavy scroll from Ein Tzurim was repaired after 45 years and returned to use in a ceremony on Jerusalem Day. The fourth scroll – the one borrowed from Kfar Etzion to Ein Tzurim and photographed in the procession on the first Independence Day – has vanished without a trace.

The complete story of the Torah scrolls – "Saved from the Fire of Etzion" – will be revealed and presented at the 9th "Judean Land Research" conference, to be held on Thursday, 17th of Iyar (May 15), at the Kfar Etzion Field School. The conference is held in partnership with the Kfar Etzion Field School, the Antiquities Authority, the Jewish National Fund, East R&D, the Nature and Parks Authority, Bar-Ilan University, and the Jeselsohn Center for the Study of Israel's History through Epigraphy.

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In the Northern California, the Torah scrolls from Congregation Beth Ami in Santa Rosa were evacuated from the synagogue on Saturday as winds whipped flames from the Kincaid Fire in nearby rural Geyserville and brought the fire danger closer to the city. As of Monday morning, the Kincaid Fire had burned some 66,000 acres and led to the evacuations of an estimated 200,000 people.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as fires raged fueled by dry conditions and strong winds. In some cases, like the Tick Fire in Santa Clarita in Southern California, which had consumed more than 4,600 acres and is 70% contained, firefighters are making significant progress. Elsewhere, however, new fires like the Getty Fire, which broke out around 2 a.m. near the famed Getty Center on Monday morning in Los Angeles, are being reported.

"We had Shabbat services yesterday when we got news about communities north of us being evacuated," said Rabbi Mordechai Miller of Beth Ami in Santa Rosa.

"We completed services and had our Kiddush because we weren't under a mandatory evacuation. Afterwards, we took the Sifrei Torahs [Torah scrolls] from the building," he said. Sunday's Hebrew school was canceled.

While many from Miller's congregation who were evacuated went to stay with friends and family in nearby communities, Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto, where Miller's daughter Sarah works, opened their homes should anyone need a place to go.

"We have not done this before, but we were very involved, post-fire, in helping that community during the [previous] fire," said Lia Rensin, president of the board of directors at Kol Emeth.

"We've had a huge outpouring of support from Kol Emeth congregants. I am beyond grateful to our members and so moved by their generosity. I am sure that if we have extra space, we will contact other synagogues in the areas affected to see how we can help as well."

Miller praised the Kol Emeth congregation, noting that they have a history of being socially active and helping when they are needed.

The Kincade Fire comes two years after the Tubbs Fire burned through Sonoma and Napa counties, killing more than 20 people, and destroying thousands of homes and structures, and just a year after the Camp Fire destroyed the town of Paradise. Both of those fires had broken out and burned so quickly that people had little if any time to act.

According to Miller, "the Tubbs Fire in 2017 fire had a profound effect on the community. A lot of rebuilding has taken place, but that isn't even fully finished. In 2017, the fire was on … Sukkot. There was a lot of wind, so I went outside at 2 a.m. to check on my sukka. It had blown off the deck, and then I saw a lot of traffic coming down the road which borders my backyard and that didn't make sense.

"People didn't know about the fire," he continued. "They didn't know what was happening because it was 2 o'clock in the morning. This time we were aware of the fire because it started in Geyserville a few days ago, so there was always some concern that with the high wind it might spread. I think people were much better prepared."

'This has become all too common'

In Los Angeles on Monday, firefighters, were working to stop a brushfire that broke out before dawn. Jewish schools including Milken Community School and the American Jewish University were closed for the day. Many residents who live near the Getty Center were evacuated overnight as the fire quickly grew in the dark.

Late last week, it was the town of Santa Clarita, northwest of Los Angeles, that was dealing with a fast-moving wildfire. The Tick Fire has since been contained, and according to rabbis there, life is back to normal.

"We canceled Hebrew school on Thursday evening, and our preschool was closed on Friday. Our synagogue was outside the evacuation zone; however, some of our congregants were evacuated," said Rabbi Jay Siegel of Congregation Beth Shalom in Santa Clarita.

"Many of those evacuated stayed with other congregants until it was safe for their return. We had services Friday night and Saturday morning."

Members of Temple Beth Ami in Santa Clarita were also evacuated last week, said Rabbi Mark Blazer, adding that "No one has lost homes, fortunately, and we had services Friday night.

"Unfortunately, this has become too common," he continued. "We almost expect it every October."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

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The scrolls, worth tens of thousands of dollars, were stolen on June 10 from the Orot Hatorah synagogue on Rabbi Akiva Street, one of the oldest synagogues in the city which was used by the famed Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, the Chazon Ish.

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The synagogue itself was vandalized, with holy books strewn across the floor.

The scrolls were located in a barn housing sheep in the Palestinian town of Aqraba. Five men in their 20s from Aqraba and east Jerusalem have been arrested in connection with the theft.

A hunting rifle, ammunition and fireworks – which are often used as weapons due to their explosive capabilities – were also discovered in the barn.

The scrolls will be returned to the synagogue following a police investigation.

This article is reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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