New synagogue, Rabbi's home damaged by fire

Only a few months after settling into the Bellaire community, the newest Orthodox rabbi and resident, Yossi Zaklikofsky and his family have been displaced by a fire in their home.

The home which served as the headquarters for the Shul of Bellaire, which started operations in January 2011 is located on the 100 block of McTighe (111 McTighe) and contained a large kitchen for the rabbi and his wife Esty to host up to five families at a time for holidays and Friday night Shabbat dinners.

That same kitchen was the place where a fire began when a guest in their home was cooking with hot oil on Saturday evening April 23. The Zaklikofskys were not home at the time, but their children were sleeping in the home along with their guests' children and several adults, but all were quickly evacuated.

"I give the Bellaire and West U fire departments a lot of credit, and I am very grateful to them," Zaklikofsky said. "It could have been much worse, but their rapid response kept the flames contained to the kitchen."

Even so, the family had minimal insurance coverage and there is an estimated $60,000 worth of damage. A new kitchen will have to be built from the ground up, restoring the communal and personal use facility that was lost. There was also a great amount of smoke and ash damage elsewhere all around the home.

The Zaklikofskys arrived in Texas from New York in 2009, invited by the Texas Headquarters of Chabad. The Chabad-Lubavitch is the largest Orthodox Jewish outreach organization and the Texas branch opened its doors in Houston in 1972, but until now there was no location serving the Bellaire area.

"We wanted to work in the field and open a Chabad branch, and Bellaire was a community in need," Zaklikofsky said. "The area is the center of the Jewish community with many Jews in the Bellaire and Meyerland area and about 50 percent are not affiliated with a synagogue. Many are card carrying synagogue members only, and are not involved."

"Our goal is to reach out and embrace every Jew with unconditional love and concern and have them celebrate and learn about their Jewish heritage and religion."

Their mission is to hold a wide range of educational, social and religious activities to bring together contemporary families. Reaching out to younger families with children, they have held several successful programs and since January, they have seen more than 200 families participate in their various programs.

"We want to expose families to fun Jewish events, and we have had a tremendous response in a very short time, so we know we haven't even scratched the surface," Zaklikofsky said. "We want our services to be joyous, exuberant, humorous, topical, and inspirational in a comfortable and relaxed setting."

Putting a good spin on their displacement, Zaklikofsky sees the fire as a sign from God that their Chabad program is meant to "grow like wildfire." They have seen an outpouring of donations and caring towards their current situation, from being hosted at the Aishel House, located in the medical center, to other offers of hospitality.