health & wellness » Wake-Up Call Tragic Brooklyn blaze teaches families to guard against Shabbat fire hazards. Shari S. Cohen | Contributing Writer 2064240 66 January 28 • 2016 New York Jewish Week A faulty hot plate caused a nighttime fire at the home of the Shabbos-observant Sassoon family in Brooklyn last spring. Seven of the family’s eight sleeping children were unable to get out of the house and died in the fire. The only working smoke detector was in the basement; the family slept on the sec- ond floor. Siporah Sassoon, 15, the only surviv- ing child, was critically injured and hospitalized for more than a month. Her mother, Gayle Sassoon, who was in critical condition and initially in a coma, was discharged in June. Gabriel Sassoon, Gayle’s husband, was at a reli- gious conference in Manhattan when the fire occurred. “The event that took place was a real wake-up call. People took it seriously,” said Rabbi Schneur Silberberg, out- reach director of the Sarah & Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center in West Bloomfield. After the Brooklyn tragedy, Silberberg, who has five young children, tested the smoke detectors in his West Bloomfield home and found one that didn’t work. For those who strictly observe the prohibition against lighting a fire on the Sabbath, active cooking, includ- ing turning burners, ovens and other appliances on or off, is not permitted. However, Silberberg said it is “the tradition that one is supposed to have hot food on Shabbos.” He said that a majority of Shabbos-observant fami- lies have some food that is kept warm overnight. Many families use a slow cooker or hot plate that is turned on before sundown on Friday and kept on until Sabbath is over. Other individuals keep a stove burner on low but cover it with a sheet of aluminum, referred to as a blech, which is Yiddish for tin. An electric urn with hot water may be plugged in before Sabbath and kept on until it is over. Some ovens have an automatic on/off Sabbath feature, but not all Orthodox families will use an oven during the Sabbath. Southfield Fire Marshall Jim Dunitz is familiar with the tragic fire at the Sassoon home. “The most important thing that jumps out at me is the abso- lute need for smoke detectors. There A faulty hot plate used for Shabbos started a fire that killed seven of eight children in a Brooklyn family. are things in everyone’s home that can start a fire. The smoke detector gives you a chance to get out,” he explains. Dunitz points out that a basement smoke detector may not be as effective because smoke rises. Leaving kitchen appliances on while unattended is potentially risky, Dunitz says. However, he says that a slow cooker is somewhat safer than a hot plate as it is designed to be kept on for a long time period. He offers these tips for safer appli- ance use: • Make sure the appliance cord is in good condition — not frayed or cut. • Don’t put anything heavy on top of the cord. • Don’t use an extension cord with hot plates and other kitchen appli- ances. Candles for holiday observances also require careful use. Silberberg remembers a “terrible tragedy around Chanukah from a burning flame.” Lit candles should be placed at a distance from flammable items. Dunitz urges everyone to install smoke detectors. Several munici- palities, including Southfield and Farmington Hills, provide free smoke detectors to local residents. Dunitz says that Southfield fire personnel will also help with installation, if needed. *