Ottawa Chabad student house catches fire prior to Passover

Local emissary of hassidic sect says flames made structure for university Chabad activities "unlivable".

By SAM SOKOL
firefighter and firetruck 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
firefighter and firetruck 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Rohr Chabad Student Network of Ottawa building caught fire last week, making the structure “unlivable,” immediately prior to Passover, the local emissary of the hassidic sect said.
Rabbi Chaim Boyarsky, his wife, Yocheved, and their five daughters lived in the structure – which served as a center for Chabad activities for local university students.
Despite not being destroyed in the blaze, the building “will take about three months to rebuild,” the Rabbi said.
However, Boyarsky told the hassidic website chabad.org that the local Chabad is “back in full force” and holding services and meals in temporary quarters at the University of Ottawa.
“On Friday night, there was a very positive energy as the students came out in big numbers.
And on Shabbat, we had a minyan and lunch.”
Members of the Jewish fraternity Alpha Epilson Pi raised money for rebuilding the Chabad house, and Chabad is calling on the public to help muster additional funds.
Prior to the holiday, Boyarsky said that he was looking into hotel accommodations in order to hold a Seder for local students.