Pasadena synagogue pushes forward, looking to rebuild after losing building in Eaton Fire

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center was one of the 7,000 structures destroyed by the Eaton Fire in January.

But, for the congregation that's served the San Gabriel Valley for over 100 years, what took place within those walls hasn't stopped. It's just moved locations, including the 11 torahs that we're saved as the fire approached.

"Our congregation right now is in the desert as we were Jews when we left Egypt. We clearly don't have a space that we can consider our own. We haven't gotten to the promised land yet, but we are gathering and appreciating and remembering," said Ruth Berman Harris, the Cantor at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.

"We haven't missed anything. Our kids are meeting in person on Sundays and Tuesdays. Our religious school is in one space. Our nursery school, the preschool, is in another space. Our adult services are in another space," said Rabbi Jill Gold Wright, the Director of the Education at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.

For now, services have moved to the First United Methodist Church in Pasadena. The community plans to rebuild and says this experience has brought them closer together.

"Community is in trauma and thriving. Both at the same time. The congregation, thank god, has no sign of shrinking. It's a miracle... I mean, it's not a miracle. I think it's the power of how much we appreciate and we need each other. We actually gained probably five new members since the fire," said Harris.

Following the fire, leadership at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center came here and discovered something nobody expected or knew existed - a mural on one of the inside walls that had been covered up during a previous renovation.

Preservation work is underway for that mural as well as plans for the congregation to host their annual second seder for Passover. The Jewish holiday runs eights nights and starts Saturday.

"The Jewish people, very central to the Passover story, are used to pivoting and we're accustomed to journeying and we're accustomed to if we don't have the first temple of Jerusalem then we will be in exile and build a second temple of Jerusalem. This is a tragedy, but it is not new for us, and it will not be in any way the ending of the experience that our congregants have," said Rabbi Wright.