Shalom, friends. It's your Los Angeles-based host, Courtney Hazlitt. Last week, just before Shabbat, we dropped a pot about the fires out here, and I wanted to follow up quickly with an update. My family is still okay. We're lucky to have our home and our inconveniences are truly minor compared to those who've lost everything. To give you a little glimpse, though, into what it's like for those of us in L.A., imagine all the stress of two years of COVID packed into the span of one week, but it smells like fire, it's raining ash, and if the wind shifts, everything you own, could be lost, or worse.

All that is to say, we aren't focusing on a new interview this week.

In fact, we are re-uping last week's episode with fellow

Angelino, Rabbi Bo Shapiro, in case you didn't have a chance to hear it yet. We talk about the

myriad of motions that come during times of crisis, and our show notes have some organizations

to donate should you feel so moved. Thank you to everyone who's reached out. Stay safe out there,

and please do keep Los Angeles in your thoughts. Welcome to How to Be a Jew.

Typically, your weekly guide to traipsing through Jewish life in the most Jewish way possible.

But this isn't a typical week.

I'm your host, Courtney Hazlett,

joined as always by Rabbi Diana Furco

and our intrepid producer, Joshua Cross.

We're coming to you early,

and we're coming to you with a totally different type of episode

that you've gotten used to hearing,

and that's because Los Angeles is on fire.

So this is affecting so many of us, people we know, relatives, community members, family, friends, and strangers we just feel a ton of compassion for.

But Courtney, it's also affecting you.

So my first question is, how are you?

What's going on?

I don't know, actually.

I mean, I'm answering the first part of your question.

...