By Erin Levi
The Bukharian community of Greenvale, New York finds itself at the center of a miraculous story that has captured hearts across the Jewish world. In a dramatic rescue that brought tears to the eyes of the community, a Jewish firefighter courageously saved a sacred Torah scroll when fire (likely electrical) threatened the Chabad of Greenvale synagogue on Wednesday morning of last week.
The Chabad house, which serves as the spiritual heart of Long Island’s vibrant Bukharian Jewish community, faced potential disaster when flames erupted at 7 a.m. in the Laffey Real Estate Group office located in the building’s lower level – just a day after celebrating Shavuot. It took almost an hour to extinguish. No one was harmed.
Community Gathers in Prayer
As word of the fire spread, Bukharian Jewish families rushed to the scene, gathering outside to daven with particular urgency for the safety of our congregation’s most treasured possessions – the holy Sifrei Torah housed in our aron kodesh.
Roslyn Highlands firefighter Michael Farca, understanding the profound significance of what lay within the burning building, immediately focused his attention upward when he realized the second floor housed our sacred sanctuary. «My eyes went right to the ark,» Farca told News 12 Long Island. «I opened it just to see if there was a Torah inside, and sure enough, there was.»
A ‘Priceless’ Treasure
«In a moving moment that brought tears to the eyes of onlookers from our community, this Jewish firefighter emerged from the building carrying our Torah scroll, completely unharmed,» said Boris Maksumov of Chabad of Greenvale to the Jerusalem Post. «His successful retrieval of the scroll was met with overwhelming relief, deep emotion, and heartfelt gratitude to HaShem from every member of our Bukharian kehillah.»
The rescue resonated deeply within our community, where reverence for Torah remains central to our spiritual lives. As congregation member Yuriy Davidov expressed to Jerusalem Post, «The Torah is more than a sefer – it is the neshama of our community, our connection to our ancestors from Bukhara and Samarkand, and our bridge to future generations.»
“Torah in Hebrew means ‘life.’ It’s our life. It’s our guide. We are grateful it was saved,” congregation president Igor Shamalov told News 12.
«Seeing our Torah carried out safely felt like a miracle,» said Shamalov. «We are deeply grateful to the firefighters and to the Ribono Shel Olam for protecting what is most precious to our community.»
He emphasized what every member of our community understands: «There is no price that can be placed on a Torah scroll.»
A Miracle of Representation
Despite the praise he’s received, Farca remains humble. “I’m no hero,” he told the New York Post. But his humility only deepens the power of what happened that morning.
Had someone else (read: a non-Jew) entered the building, would they have recognized the sacred ark – or understood what it meant to save it? The rescue was miraculous, but equally profound was that it was carried out by someone who knew exactly what he was saving.
This is why representation matters. For the Bukharian community – immigrants who have built new lives while preserving ancient traditions – seeing a fellow Jew instinctively protect what we hold most sacred reflects our own journey of service and belonging. It’s also why it mattered that the Bukharian Jewish Community Center honored our NYPD officers last month – Inspector Colonel Igor Pinkhasov and retired Officer Pyotr Borukhov – a moment we proudly featured in issue 1215.
With Jews now serving in every corner of American life – not just protecting our physical safety, but safeguarding our spiritual treasures – this moment felt like more than coincidence. On that Wednesday morning, Hashem worked through human hands that understood the sacred weight they carried: both the Torah scroll and the responsibility to be there when we needed them most.
The Road Forward – A Call for Funds
Today, as the community works to rebuild after the fire, the Chabad of Greenvale has temporarily moved into Igor Shamalov’s basement while the original building remains destroyed. The congregation is seeking to raise $770,000 for a new home—at press time, the GoFundMe page shows $39,554 raised.
For those moved by this story of faith, community, and miraculous rescue, donations can be made at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/vtaqae-help-rebuild-chabad-of-greenvale-after-fire.