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In the midst of a devastating wildfire that destroyed their family home, Joshua Kotler and his wife Emily were left with nothing but their lives. However, from the ashes of their Altadena home, one precious item emerged: a menorah that had once belonged to Joshua’s grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.

The Kotler family, including their two daughters, Liberty, 4, and Eve, 2, had evacuated their home as the fire rapidly advanced. While they managed to flee with just a few clothes and the necessities, they never imagined the fire would destroy everything they had. Their home, perched at the top of a mountain, was completely consumed by the flames.

“We got out of our house safely, thank God,” Joshua told The New York Post, reflecting on their escape. The next morning, as firefighters surveyed the damage, Joshua and Emily returned to see what, if anything, had survived. Amid the devastation, the only item that remained unscathed was the menorah, a family heirloom passed down through generations.

“It was insanely powerful to find it,” Joshua said, choking up. “The night before, I had been crying on the phone with my cousin, regretting not grabbing it when we left. And then to find it, the only thing left from our entire house—it was just an insane feeling.”

The menorah’s survival felt almost miraculous. It had witnessed history—having survived the horrors of the Holocaust—now it had survived a destructive wildfire. For Joshua, it was more than just an object; it was a symbol of survival, resilience, and the enduring strength of his family’s legacy.

As he recovered the menorah from the wreckage, he recalled the fear and uncertainty that gripped him as the fire approached. “I was trying to save the house, but I wasn’t thinking clearly. I kept wondering if we would make it out,” he said. “But finding that menorah, it was a sign—no matter what, we’re still here.”

While their home was lost, the Kotlers have found hope in this small but significant piece of history that now carries a new meaning: a reminder that even in the darkest moments, something precious can endure. “We’re alive. That’s all that matters,” Joshua reflected, holding his family close, grateful for their survival and the menorah that connected their past with their future.

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shout out to swaying during prayer got to be one of my favorite things

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unpopular opinion somehow, but calling Mark Zuckerberg a lizard person is, in fact, antisemitic.

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queer jewish flag coining!

[pt. queer jewish flag coining! end pt.]

nivrah bein hashmashot

a term for queer jews, translating to "created between the suns" in reference to the night between the sixth and seventh days of creation. the rainbow was created then, along with other things that transcended binaries.

ovri

term for queer (especially trans and/or gender non-conforming) jews, translating to "one who crosses over" which can reference transition or subverting gender/sexuality norms. the plural is ovrim.

these flags/terms are jewish-exclusive! other than that, feel free to use

if you credit/tag me, you can use these flags as inspiration or redesign them!

credits: where i first heard these terms!

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woah that clark kent guy looks a lot like superman

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I think the difference between myself and other religious people is that I don't see saying "oh my g-d" as being disgraceful to His name. I see saying "oh my g-d" like you're trying to get g-d's attention so you can do this:

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Found Friday night blessings for cats on Ritualwell and I could not be happier!

You BETCHA I’m doing blessings for my cat this Shabbat! 🕯🕯🐈✡️

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the fact that this keeps happening in the literary and art world is deeply concerning - you’d think there would be awareness there as to why discrimination and censorship is bad, and knowledge of the intentional targeting and erasure of Jewish scholars and artists historically.

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My father was a Holocaust survivor. He was the only one of his family to survive. Growing up, for as long as I can remember, he told me about the Menorah his family had before the war. It was silver, with palm trees and lions. He lost that Menorah of course, when the war came, along with his parents, brothers, sisters, everyone and everything else. He never stopped looking for another one like it. And then one day, decades after the war, he happened upon something while browsing a flea market in Warsaw. It was his Menorah. Not one that just looked like it, the genuine article, with his last name engraved in the back. Just like him, by some miracle, the Menorah had survived. It seems so unbelievable, but at the same time it's true. I simply wanted to share this story with all of you and yours and to wish EVERYONE (regardless of what traditions you follow) joy and happiness and most of all PEACE. And remember that miracles can happen.

Source: Eva Tenenbaum-Kirshenblatt

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Here's a funny Jewish Uquiz I found:

Has the added side effect of teaching about the Amidah!

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chag sameach

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Waited all too late to finally throw caution (and potentially my security deposit) to the wind and get a real menorah.

Fortunately Chabad hooked me up with a last-minute "Chanukah in a Box" kit.

And don't worry about my electric menorah, it's chilling in my window. (It's backwards so it looks right from the street.)