Help The Raskin Family

I am reaching out with a heavy heart and deep sense of loss. Yesterday, our family lost everything—everything my late father worked so tirelessly for, everything we held dear. Our family home, a place filled with memories, laughter, and love, was consumed by the fires. In an instant, irreplaceable photos, precious records, yearbooks, and countless personal items that tell the story of our lives were lost forever.

My brother Sami, a sophomore in college, and I, a first-year law student, are still processing the weight of this tragedy. But the hardest part has been seeing the devastation in my mom’s eyes. She raised us on her own after my father passed away in 2012, and that house was not just a building—it was a symbol of everything she sacrificed to provide for us, to give us stability, and to create a home full of warmth and love. Now, that home is gone, and my mom is left trying to rebuild, with nothing but the memories she holds in her heart.

Right now, she is staying at my grandparents' home as she tries to figure out what comes next. We are still reeling from the loss and trying to process everything. We’ve lived in the Palisades since 2010, and this neighborhood has meant the world to us. It’s where we grew up, where our community has supported us, and where so many of our cherished memories were made.

I’m reaching out to ask for help, to ask if you can help us start to rebuild, even just a small piece of the life we had. We’re not just asking for material things—we’re asking for a chance to restore the memories that are irreplaceable and the stability that has been so hard-won over the years. Your donation, no matter how small, would go directly to helping my mom find a place to live, replace essentials like medicine and clothing, and start to rebuild the life we’ve lost.

All the events I’ve hosted, all the people who have stayed at our home, all the laughter and memories we’ve shared would not have been possible without my mom’s unwavering love, strength, and dedication to us. Please, if you can, consider donating to help us through this devastating time. Your kindness means more than we can ever express. Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Every bit of support brings us closer to finding a way forward.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Zak Raskin