It was a Tuesday, the fifth day of Chanukah. Deafening sirens of fire engines shook the Kana neighborhood of Beit Shemesh. Worried residents came out to see what had happened and how they could help. The site of the fire was 51 Ben Ish Chai Street, a 5-story building which housed 22 families.

Nearby neighbors immediately rushed to rescue children from the balconies of the lower floors. Firefighters broke into the smoke-shrouded building and began to contain the flames. Rescuers on a crane extricated residents from the upper floors. After 2 hours, the fire was successfully extinguished and the extent of the damage became clear.

Baruch Hashem, there were no casualties, but the building’s electrical mains sustained heavy damage and the stairwell was unusable. Its plumbing system was partially damaged. No one was permitted to enter the building due to the risk of toxins, and the electricity was cut off. The residents, most of whom were poor, cash-strapped avreichim with large families, were at a loss at what to do. Neighborhood activists rallied to help as much as possible, arranging for alternative accommodation and meals in a nearby hall. As Shabbos approached, the affected families had no choice but to return to their damaged homes.

For one week, these families lived without electricity and water. They relied on neighbors for help with the laundry and baths for the children, and suffered greatly from the cold.

Repairmen were hired to fix the electricity and plumbing. Most of these costs were borne by generous donors. As of now, the electricity has been successfully restored to the building but there is still much to be done. The stairwell needs extensive work. Several apartments were damaged in the fire and need renovations to make them livable again.

These 22 poor families are crying out for help.

“We have been through a lot of heartache recently, please help us return to a normal life.”

They do not have the means to pay for these high expenses. Please extend your help, to them.