A devastating fire broke out in the building of Congregation Beth El in East Rutherford, N.J., early on Friday morning, destroying the century-old building and the home of its leaders, Chabad Rabbi Yitzchak and Bina Lerman, who lived in the synagogue campus.
The fire began at around 2:45 a.m., when the Lerman family heard smoke alarms ringing and saw the flames encircling them from the window. Fleeing their home with just clothes on their back, Rabbi Lerman ran his wife and four children to safety at the neighbor’s house before turning around to salvage the Torah scrolls, only to see that fire had already engulfed the entire building. They had miraculously escaped with only a minute to spare.
“The destruction is just unbelievable,” said their brother-in-law, Rabbi Mendy Wilschanski, speaking to Chabad.org from near the still-smoking ruins hours later. “The only thing still standing is a brick wall and the shell of one room. Everything else is lost. Their clothes, possessions and all their memories just went up in smoke. On top of that, an active synagogue that served the community for over a century was destroyed. It’s a tremendous loss.”
Rabbi and Mrs. Lerman have served as the directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of South Bergen County and The Meadowlands for more than 10 years, when they arrived to lead Congregation Beth El. The synagogue, founded in 1919, was housed in what was once a residential home. Local authorities said that the structure contained old wood and varnish that might have accelerated the fire. No cause has been identified for the conflagration yet, and an investigation was launched on Aug. 8 to examine how it happened.
Though the Torah scrolls are surely ruined, Rabbi Lerman plans to work with firefighters to search for any remains, which will be given a proper burial according to halachah (Jewish law).
The community is coming together to support the Lerman family and the Jewish community. A non-Jewish neighbor opened his home to store what could be recovered for the site, while countless others came to the synagogue to show their solidarity.
A campaign was launched on Aug. 8 to help provide clothing, furniture and temporary housing for the family. Tents will be erected on the grounds of the destroyed synagogue to host services this Shabbat.
“The Lermans are just the most giving people. He is a teacher at the nearby yeshivah, a chaplain, and together with Bina, give their all to the community. They will be back and will not let this keep them down, but now, we need to be there for them like they were always there for their community,” Wilschanski said.
“We lost everything material,” said the rabbi. “But we still have each other, we still have our community, and we still have our purpose. A building can burn, but what we’ve built together ... that fire cannot touch.”
The work of rebuilding will begin immediately, he added, because East Rutherford needs its synagogue, and the synagogue needs its community.
To support the Lerman family and to help them rebuild, click here.
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