Long Island Firefighter Saves Sacred Torah from Blaze in Heroic Rescue at Chabad of Greenvale

By: Fern Sidman

In a scene that eyewitnesses compared to a moment straight out of a movie, a Jewish firefighter on Long Island ran into a burning synagogue Wednesday morning and emerged from the smoke-filled building cradling a sacred Torah scroll in his arms — an act that has since been hailed as both heroic and deeply symbolic by members of the local Jewish community.

The blaze broke out around 7 a.m. at the Chabad of Greenvale, a central hub for Jewish life in the Nassau County hamlet. As fire crews from across the region converged on the scene, Jewish firefighter Michael Farca sprinted into the flames and returned moments later carrying the congregation’s cherished Sefer Torah, its embroidered covering untouched by smoke or fire.

According to a report on Thursday in The New York Post, Farca’s daring rescue brought tears to the eyes of onlookers, many of whom had rushed to the scene upon hearing of the fire. Congregants stood in prayer and disbelief as the firefighter emerged — unscathed — with the scroll cradled like a child.

“Michael came out of the building like a superhero,” said Chabad member Igor Shamalov in an emotional interview with The Post. “Not a scratch on him — and the Torah, the most sacred object in our lives, was untouched. It felt like a divine moment.”

Shamalov explained that the timing of the fire lent an even deeper meaning to the Torah’s rescue. Just two days earlier, the community had celebrated Shavuot — the Jewish holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. “To see it saved like that, right after celebrating its gift to us, it was nothing short of faith-affirming,” he said.

Photos and video shared with The New York Post show the aftermath: scorched walls, charred prayer books, and a blackened sanctuary — but amid the ruin, a profound sense of spiritual resilience. Congregant Yuriy Davydov described the moment the scroll was carried out as “a miracle.”

“The Torah is more than a book, it’s our heart and soul,” Davydov told The Post. “Seeing it carried out safely felt like our heart was still beating.”

According to first responders quoted by The New York Post, multiple fire departments arrived swiftly and were able to contain the flames before the entire building was destroyed. Crews remained on site for several hours to extinguish hot spots and assess the damage. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

While the building suffered significant structural and smoke damage, the congregation says the community has not been defeated — far from it. Members of Chabad of Greenvale have already begun making plans to rebuild and are actively searching for a temporary space to hold services in the meantime.

“This was a tragedy, yes,” said Shamalov. “But it was also a moment of clarity. Our building was damaged, but our spirit was strengthened. The Torah’s rescue is our sign to rebuild — stronger and more united than ever.”

Farca, hailed as a hero by the congregation and his fellow firefighters, has remained humble amid the praise. Though he has not made a public statement, those who know him told The New York Post that his actions speak louder than any words.

In Jewish tradition, saving a Torah is considered a sacred and honorable act — akin in significance, some say, to saving a human life. For the members of the Chabad of Greenvale, that sacred truth was embodied on Wednesday morning in the bravery of one man, the resilience of their community, and the unburnt words of the scroll that binds them together.