Between 1600 and 1800, German Christians regularly sought out Jewish magical expertise to combat devastating urban wildfires. Yet this fascinating history has been completely forgotten—and with it, a powerful precedent for Jewish responses to contemporary climate catastrophe. Drawing on one German Christian and one Hebrew Jewish source (both in translation), we'll examine how a ritual involving challah bread and kabbalistic symbols became a sought-after firefighting intervention in early modern Germany. This will allow us to uncover and evaluate a lost chapter in the history of Jewish magic, Jewish environmentalism, and interfaith collaboration. No magical or firefighting expertise required!

Dr. Yosef Rosen is the Director of Jewish Life & Learning at the Jewish Federation of Portland (OR). A recipient of a doctorate in Jewish Studies (UC Berkeley), Yosef translates the mysteries of Kabbalah into usable mythologies and immersive practices. His public workshops merge what modern society often keeps separate: the contemporary and the ancient, the academic and the experiential, the religious and the secular, the spiritual and the somatic.