NJ temple that survived terror bombing is destroyed by fire with cause under investigation

🔥The temple's rabbi and his family of 6 made it out safely

🔥The cause of the fire is under investigation

🔥A campaign has been created for donations to help the temple rebuild

RUTHERFORD — A rabbi and his family safely escaped a fire in the middle of the night that destroyed a Jewish synagogue.

Police Chief John Russo said the fire was first reported around 2:45 a.m. at the Temple Beth El. It grew quickly to four alarms, which brought in dozens of firefighters from surrounding areas.

The temple, which also houses the Chabad of South Bergen County and The Meadowlands, was determined to be a complete loss.

The same synagogue was firebombed in 2012 by Anthony Graziano, now serving a 35-year prison term for a 2016 terrorism conviction for attacks and vandalism at four synagogues and an attempted attack on a fifth Jewish site.

Escape in the middle of the night

Shluchim Rabbi Yitzchok Lerman and his wife and six children made it out of the house with just their pajamas.

"The whole building went up in flames. The entire building is destroyed," Rabbi Eli Steinhauser said. "It's just a devastating, devastating loss. Rabbi Lerman promised they're going to rebuild."

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Rallying Around the Temple

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said no firefighters were injured. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway by the Bergen County Arson Task Force and Rutherford fire officials.

Mayor Frank Nunziato praised the borough's volunteer firefighters for responding in the middle of the night. The mayor was also confident the community would rally around the temple, which has been on Montross Avenue since the 1950s.

"I know you'll rally around Congregation Beth-El and the Lerman family because that's what Rutherford does. If you're not sure what to do, simply act with kindness and gratitude wherever you go. And thank a firefighter today," Nunziato wrote.

An emergency fire campaign has been created to help the Lerman family recover from the fire and rebuild the temple.

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