Village Founded by Shlomo Carlbach Burned to the Ground

An Israeli community founded by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach has been almost completely destroyed by fire, local authorities said, as a rash of wildfires ravaged the area.

Mevo Modiim, a community of some 250 people nestled into the Ben Shemen forest east of Tel Aviv, was one of several communities completely evacuated Thursday, as homeowners attempted to get out of the way of the raging flames.

Some 40 of the 50 homes in the town were damaged by the fire, according to the Ynet news site. Firefighters only managed to get the blaze there, and in other areas around the forest, under control late Thursday, according to reports.

The village was home to a large English-speaking community, and was a focal point for many of Carlebach’s followers, who referred to it simply as “the Moshav.”

The US-raised Carlebach lived there and in Canada before his death in 1994.