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<\/a><\/p>\nRabbi Yitzchok Lerman, who survived with his family in the fire that completely destroyed Congregation Beth El synagogue, stands in front of the synagogue’s ruins in Rutherford, New Jersey on August 8. (Kyle Mazza\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The four-alarm fire broke out at approximately 2:45 a.m. at Congregation Beth El Chabad. Rabbi Yitzchok Lerman, his wife, and four of their children were sleeping in an apartment inside the synagogue.<\/p>\n
Officers near the congregation responded to the scene, where they found that the entire south side of the building was engulfed in flames, according to Rutherford Police Department Chief John Russo.<\/p>\n
Lerman and his family were able to escape the building unharmed, after which the fire spread throughout the rest of the building which was deemed a \u201ccomplete loss,\u201d according to Russo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw orange flames outside our window so we quickly grabbed our children and ran out,\u201d Lerman told the New York Times. \u201cI turned around to save our Torah scrolls, but the flames had already engulfed the entire building. It was that quick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lerman told the Times that he hoped to work with firefighters to search for the Torahs\u2019 remains, which will then be buried by the congregation. (Burial is the traditional way to dispose of Torahs that can no longer be used.) He has also launched a crowdfunding campaign to support rebuilding.<\/p>\n
The synagogue was founded in 1919. It suffered a Molotov cocktail attack in January 2012 that injured the rabbi living in the building at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongregation Beth El has been a pillar of the Rutherford Community for decades and our hearts go out to them,\u201d said Russo in a statement.<\/p>\n
Due to the extensive and severe damage to the synagogue, an initial investigation into the cause of the fire was found to be \u201cundetermined and not criminal,\u201d according to Russo.<\/p>\n
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