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What a remarkable Torah rescued from Iran — then LA's fire — can teach about community amid devastation

JL;DR SUMMARY In the aftermath of the devastating Eaton Fire that destroyed the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, the resilience of the Jewish community shines through the story of a remarkable Torah. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish FaithJewish DiasporaCommunity ResilienceIran Iraq WarEaton FirePasadena Jewish TempleNehdar TorahRebuilding EffortsFire Survival

Places mentioned

Los Angeles, California, United States
"LOS ANGELES  There will be Shabbat services in Pasadena this weekend."
Pasadena, California, United States
"LOS ANGELES  There will be Shabbat services in Pasadena this weekend."
Altadena, California, United States
"On Tuesday, the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena and parts of Pasadena, destroying the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center."
Khorramshahr, Isfahan, Iran
"In 1934, Samuel Nehdar, a leading importer in the Iranian port city of Khorramshahr, commissioned the Torah to mark the death of his first wife."
Tehran, Iran
"Nehdar remarried and moved to Tehran, before emigrating to the U.S. in 1967."

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Retrieved 2025-01-11 05:30:30 UTC
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