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CU group gives out Shabbat care packages for Jewish families impacted by Marshall Fire

Chabad at CU is a home away from home for Jewish students, but its latest efforts are focused on those with no home.

BOULDER, Colo. — The University of Colorado Boulder's Jewish community has stepped up for Jewish families that lost everything during the Marshall Fire. 

"After the fires, as you can imagine, everyone was just feeling like, 'What can we do?'" Leah Wilhelm, the director of Chabad at CU, said. "We are primarily a student-based organization but we do have some community members and actually three of them lost homes. So it felt very personal."

Chabad at CU is a home away from home for Jewish students, but its latest efforts are focused on those with no home.

"We heard over and over from a number of different people that what really made them sad were the items of sentimental value and, like, the Jewish items of sentimental value," Wilhelm explained. 

Wilhelm began collecting sacred items used for Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, and began distributing them to Jewish families that lost everything during the Marshall Fire.

"We're always doing, doing, doing and Shabbat is about being just stopping and connecting into our souls, into our loved ones," Wilhelm said. "This is what people need to get through probably the coming years."

Wilhelm knows the work is far from over, but she is hoping their efforts can help bring a little bit of peace during such a chaotic time. 

"I think that there's goodness in humanity, and just a small amount of light can dispel a lot of darkness and together we can really bring light to the world," she said. 

Wilhelm said they are not stopping at Shabbat. They plan to provide sacred items for Hanukkah and Passover for any of those families impacted by the fire. You can reach out to their organization here.

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