H eadlines
Transformer Explosion Leads to Chevra Fire
L O CAL
SELAH MAYA ZIGHELBOIM | JE STAFF
THE CHEVRA, ONE OF
Philadelphia’s primary organi-
zation that puts on program-
ming for young professionals,
is assessing the damage from
recent fires that occured at its
Center City building on Feb.

12 and 13.

No one was injured.

ues for other upcoming events,
including for its Purim party in
March, which usually attracts
hundreds of attendees.

Vice President
Leon Vinokur said they do not
yet know when The Chevra
will reopen.

“It’s an evolving, developing
process, but we’re moving as
quickly as we possibly can and
hope to reopen as soon as we
possibly can,” Vinokur said.

which sustained smoke and
soot damage as well.

“We look at everything
through the lens of the expres-
sion gam zu l’tova, i.e. ‘every-
thing is for the good’,” Vinokur
said. “While we realize this
challenge poses a temporary
setback, it also gives rise to an
opportunity for even greater
things to come for The Chevra
and Jewish Philly.”
CBS Philly reported that
the transformer explosion sent
several manhole covers and a
several-hundred-pound metal
transformer access cover fly-
ing. The windows of several
nearby stores broke, although
Mama’s Vegetarian, a kosher
restaurant at the intersection of
the explosion, was unaffected.

Mama’s Vegetarian owner
Haviv David was in the kitchen
when the explosion happened,
he said. He heard the explosion
and felt the building shake. His
first thought was that it might
be a terrorist attack.

There weren’t many peo-
ple walking around outside yet
because of the time of day and
bad weather, or else David believes
there would have been deaths.

“Thank God nobody got
hurt,” David said. l
szighelboim@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0729
Last chance to register for Super Sunday,
the Jewish Federation’s largest day of
community fundraising!
February 24, 2019
All locations: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

(The 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. JFCS shift is full)
Additional JFCS shift:
12:30 p.m. -2:30 p.m.

No one was injured in the fires at The Chevra on Feb. 12 and 13.

Photo provided
The fire was the result of
a PECO underground trans-
former explosion near the cor-
ner of 20th and Ranstead streets
in Center City just before 8 a.m.

on Feb. 12, according to The
Chevra. No one was injured by
the explosion, but nearby busi-
nesses sustained damage, CBS
Philly reported.

The Chevra building at 2002
Ludlow St. is not usable, and
the organization has set up
temporary offices at 1800 John
F. Kennedy Blvd., which it also
plans to use for small events.

The Chevra has cancelled its
next event, “Urban Campfire,”
which was scheduled for Feb.

23, and is working with other
organizations to secure ven-
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM On the morning of Feb. 12,
the transformer explosion led
to flooding and an electrical fire
in The Chevra’s basement. The
fire had started to spread to the
first floor, The Chevra’s main
programming space in the four-
story building, when firefight-
ers were able to put it out.

There was a flare-up of the
fire in the early morning of
Feb. 13.

By the time firefighters were
able to stop it, the building had
sustained more damage. The
basement and the first floor had
significant fire, smoke and soot
damage, while the second and
third floor had smoke and soot
damage. There is a fourth floor,
not operated by The Chevra,
Additional Philadelphia shift:
3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Walk-ins are welcome.

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Jewish Community
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The Barbara and Harvey
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Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
Convergent Technologies, Inc.

Malvern, PA 19355
SofterWare, Inc.

Fort Washington, PA 19034
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jewishphilly.org/supersunday 215.832.0880
Shir Ami
Newtown, PA 18940
*Childcare will be available
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jewishphilly.org JEWISH EXPONENT
FEBRUARY 21, 2019
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