Remnants of a building on Moshav Mevo Modi'im on May 23, 2019. (Credit: Israel Fire Service)
FIVE YEARS AFTER A DEVASTATING FIRE, A UNIQUE ISRAELI COMMUNITY REBUILDS - PART 2
On May 23, 2019, a devastating fire destroyed most of the homes and infrastructure on Moshav Mevo Modi’im. The Moshav, as it’s more commonly referred to, is a village in central Israel known for its connection to the influential and charismatic musician and rabbi, Shlomo Carlebach. The Moshav’s original residents, an eclectic group of teachers and creatives, have welcomed spiritual seekers to their village for almost 5 decades.
I was fortunate to have first visited the Moshav in the year 2000, which I describe in greater detail in Part 1 of this blog post. I returned to visit the Moshav this past April.
Here, I turn my attention to the fire of 2019 and the rebuilding process that has followed. Shalom Schwarz, a Moshav resident since 1980, was kind enough to share his insights.
Shalom Schwarz. (Credit: Chad Derrick)
Schwarz was at home on the Moshav when he first spotted the fire, on the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer.
THE FIRE AND ITS AFTERMATH
Schwarz recalled:
“I remember that day very vividly. I was standing in my house looking out the window. It was about 105 degrees, 40 degrees Celsius, really strong winds., All fires were banned as it was Lag B'Omer that day, and I see a little brush fire at least a kilometer away in the woods, the southern woods of the Moshav. And I said, 'Okay, you know, the fire department will be here to put it out'.”
Unfortunately, fire services were unable to contain the blaze. As residents were being evacuated, the head of personal security tried to reassure Schwarz.
“He says to me, ‘Don't worry, Shalom, you'll be back by tonight.’ Well, that wasn't exactly the case. We all found out sooner or later that the Moshav pretty much burnt down.”
By the time the fire was finally extinguished, most of the Moshav’s 60 homes and community buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. Infrastructure for electricity, sewage, and water was rendered unusable. Amazingly, no lives were lost.
Some, including Schwarz, suspected arson, especially since the fire appeared to have started in multiple locations. However, an investigation by Israeli Fire Services was inconclusive.
The approximately 250 residents spent the following months in temporary housing at a guesthouse in a nearby village and in other locations around Israel.
“It destroyed the community, in a lot of ways. It took away a lot of the usefulness. It took away a lot of the good memories. And, yeah, (it was) very difficult,” said Schwarz.
Without insurance, most residents who lost their homes had to rely on the Israeli government for temporary housing and rent subsidies. The government also eventually provided interim prefabricated housing on the Moshav, allowing many residents who’d lost their homes to return. Some chose not to come back.
The government did not provide compensation for the homes destroyed by fire, so those wanting to rebuild on the Moshav now face the daunting task of financing construction on their own. Schwarz estimates that completing construction will take years.
“You tell a 75-year old person that’s lived in a house for 35 to 40 years, and it burned down, and living in temporary housing for the last five years, that it'll be two or three more years? Building a house with all the headaches, the financial, the burden of getting permits, the actuality of building a physical house, it's very, very difficult. I see that very clearly in people.”
Schwarz was one of the first of those whose homes were destroyed to move back to the Moshav. Initially, he lived in a tent. Then, instead of waiting to rebuild a new home, he bought a used Coca-Cola truck and lovingly converted it into a tiny home on its chassis.
Shalom Schwarz's home. (Credit: Chad Derrick)
When I asked Schwarz why it was so important to return, he answered simply, “It’s my home.”
“Everyone's scared. I'm not really scared of change, hopefully we change every day in some manner,” he added.
“My father was in the Holocaust, was in a labor camp. He got his leg blown up in World War Two. And he said, ‘whatever can be replaced in this lifetime is not lost’.”
This resilience and optimism was what struck me most about Schwarz and the other residents as they work to rebuild.
“My life has only gotten better since the fire,” Schwarz told me.
“Baruch Hashem (translation: Blessed be God), we’ve all matured. I’m in a really good space, and I get a lot of nachas (translation: pride) from my children and grandchildren.”
When I visited Schwarz this past April, just before the Jewish holiday of Passover, he proudly gave me a tour of his tiny home. I met with other residents who were busy cooking and making preparations for the holiday.
Moshav resident, Dina Solomon. (Credit: Chad Derrick)
Some invited me into the small prefabricated homes provided temporarily by the government. I also encountered other residents in the Moshav’s venerable synagogue, which had, amazingly, survived the fire. People were upbeat, friendly, and welcoming, as they’d always been.
Moshav synagogue. (Credit: Chad Derrick)
Five years later, evidence of the fire was still visible on the Moshav grounds. A few charred, hollowed-out homes remained standing, but there were also signs of new growth.
Fire-damaged home on Moshav Mevo Modi'im. (Credit: Chad Derrick)
Fresh plants and grass have replaced the blackened landscape, and signs posted by architects and contractors promised new homes for families.
Sign advertising a new home build on Moshav Mevo Modi'im. (Credit: Chad Derrick)
As part of the plan to rehabilitate the Moshav, authorities have zoned part of the Moshav for a tourist area, including plans for a hotel and a Shlomo Carlebach Health and Educational Center, a tribute to the Moshav’s original and enduring spirit.
I also saw construction vehicles building roads to connect a new 52-home development.
Backhoe constructing a new road, Moshav Mevo Modi'im. (Credit: Chad Derrick)
These privately developed modern homes will be sold to new residents with likely no connection or affinity for the Moshav founders’ ethos or ideology.
Reflecting on this new phase, Schwarz was philosophical:
“I think it will be great. I think anyone that's going to spend the amount of money they're spending to move here will probably be people who have a positive way in the world and want to come here for a good quality of spiritual, religious life. And we'll be part of them. They'll be part of us. So Baruch Hashem, it'll all work out.”
He acknowledged that the Moshav will continue to evolve, as all places do.
“When I go back to where I grew up, it’s not the same place, it’s totally different. Israel isn’t the same either. When I first came here in 1977, it was a different country.”
And, as for the Moshav’s “golden age,” Schwarz remarked:
“We were like the Beatles—that’s what we did, and it’s not going to happen again in this venue. Life goes on. We’re not living in the past.”
