BELLEVUE, Wash. — A Bellevue rabbi and his family are safe after a fire destroyed their home early Saturday morning.
The home was also packed with people helping with a summer camp for teens.
Ten people barely escaped the fire that swept through the home around 5 a.m.
Rabbi Sholom Elishevitz and his wife, Chaya, along with their two daughters, were sleeping downstairs.
Sleeping upstairs was a group of six young women – all serving along with one of the couple’s daughters - as counselors during a summer camp for Jewish teens.
Rabbi Mordechai Farkash from the Chabad of Bellevue says Rabbi Elishevitz got his family out, then went back inside the burning home
“Right immediately after leaving the house, walked back, in order to make sure that the counselors are out,” said Rabbi Farkash.
As the rabbi yelled to the young women, they realized they only had one way out.
“The counselors jumped out of the second-story window… and they were mature and strong enough to understand not to open the door to the steps, but rather to immediately look for an escape and that’s how they survived,” said Rabbi Farkash.
The young women had scrapes and bruises. Rabbi Farkash says it’s a miracle everyone got out.
“The fire department came, they said your life was spared by a minute,” said Farkash.
Rabbi Elishevitz suffered burns on his hands and smoke inhalation and was later released from the hospital.
Just hours before the fire, campers packed the house to enjoy a meal – and while the family lost their possessions in the fire, they insisted the camp continue.
“The counselors, the rabbi and his wife immediately expressed their desire to continue, not to have those children feeling disappointed at the camp, waiting all year to be part of,” said Rabbi Farkash.
Chabad Bellevue launched a fundraiser to rebuild and replace the home and belongings lost in the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Investigators suspect it was electrical, but nothing suspicious.
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