"As have many of you, I have been strongly impacted by the news from California (my home state) regarding the wildfires there. In Southern California, the Jewish camps that were destroyed (Camps Hess Kramer, Hilltop, and JCA Shalom) were camps that I attended for programs throughout my childhood and teen years, and their loss hits hard. I've been in touch with my close friends Rabbi Julia Weisz and Rabbi Paul Kipnes at Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas, CA (which was also impacted by the shooting in Thousand Oaks last week). The fire made it to their parking lot, scorching their sign; thankfully, it did not reach their building, though they have extensive smoke damage. About 80% of their congregation was evacuated over the last week and a number of their congregants have lost their homes. Their team has been running a day camp and adult hangout space at De Toledo, a local pluralistic Jewish high school, for local synagogues and others to gather, get a hug, breathe, and coordinate. Volunteers having been coming by daily to check in on congregants and to find out who needs immediate help.  For those who would like to support this congregation and the surrounding communities, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) has posted information and donation links.  I invite you to join me in supporting their efforts and to lend a helping hand."