Ashes and Hope: A Rescue Volunteer’s Unforgettable Encounter

In a heartfelt and deeply moving post, a volunteer from MDA Rescue Petach Tikva described a powerful scene he witnessed while responding to a large fire. His words have since touched many hearts.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), in the afternoon hours, we were dispatched by the operational center of Magen David Adom (Israel’s national emergency medical service) to support the firefighters as they battled a major blaze in the Segula industrial zone,” he wrote.

“When we reached the main gathering point for the forces, I was assigned to secure the area around the cemetery nearby.”

And then, something unexpected happened.

“At the entrance to the cemetery,” he continued, “a scene unfolded before our eyes that left us speechless. Flames were rising into the air, glowing against the sky above the quiet cemetery. It was completely empty of visitors, and the silence combined with the heat and the light was almost surreal. For a moment, it felt as if the sound of the shofar was about to echo, and the resurrection of the dead (techiyat hameitim) was beginning right here, right now.”

That powerful image of the fire, the stillness, the sacred space of a cemetery, struck everyone present, regardless of background.

“The rare and emotional sight touched every member of our team,” the volunteer concluded. “Whether religious or secular, we all stood there together, moved by the same deep feeling. We offered a heartfelt tefillah (prayer), that we should merit peace, safety, and the arrival of the geulah (redemption), speedily in our days.”