BEACHWOOD, Ohio — Even on the worst day, all it takes is a bit of faith to keep going. No doubt, April 13 was a rough day for Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood.
Smoke billowed from the synagogue early that afternoon, and leaders said an electrical fire sparked in the roof of the sanctuary; Julianna Johnston Senturia has been a member of the temple for 25 years.
“Some of the hardest parts for me are seeing the state of some our worship areas and knowing that for me personally and for my family, we had so many wonderful celebrations in those spaces,” Senturia said.
Rabbi Joshua Caruso said he thought the fire would never be a possibility.
Temple leaders said the blaze damaged parts of the sanctuary, impacted the temple's electrical system and left behind smoke damage.
“Seeing that building smoke either on the news or you were standing across the street, or you’re standing right on our side of the street, you could see that there was some significant damage that was going to happen,” Caruso said. “We were grateful that there was not more physical damage inside the building as it could’ve been.”
For the past two months, the Fairmount Temple had been holding services at another synagogue, but this past Friday was the first service back at Fairmount in a separate part of the building.
“This building is an anchor for us, and so having half of it out of commission, there is a certain sadness that comes with that, so doing these joyful gatherings feels good, and it feels like we’re moving in the right direction now,” Senturia said.
Temple leadership said sanctuary repairs will start in the next few days—it’s unclear right now when they'll be finished.
In the meantime, Senturia said she’s thankful for the community's support, especially those from other denominations who simply wanted to help.
“Our community is a community whether we’re standing in this building or standing somewhere else to pray together; I feel that sense of community everywhere I go,” Senturia said.
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