"Just Three Months Ago We Entered the Synagogue, and Suddenly It Was All Set on Fire"

Rabbi Mendel Winfeld couldn't believe it was happening to him. Standing outside his synagogue in San Jose, California, he couldn't stop weeping. The new synagogue, which they had only entered about three months ago, was ablaze before his eyes, along with all its contents and holy objects. Everything was turning into a fiery blaze.

"It all started early Wednesday morning," he recounts. "Around 2 AM, when no one was in the synagogue, someone entered the covered parking lot and set a fire. Security cameras capture the smoke, but you can't exactly see how it all started. Later, you see the person fleeing the parking lot while the fire is still burning.

"A few minutes later," adds Rabbi Winfeld, "you see someone come in and seemingly try to control the fire by pouring some water on it and then leaving. It's unclear who this person is. Maybe they thought the fire was out, or there was another reason. We don't know exactly what happened. A few minutes later, the fire started raging again, burning for several hours. It was only at 7 AM, when the cleaners responsible for trash removal arrived, that the fire was discovered and the fire department was contacted. They arrived quickly, but there was almost nothing left to save."

"Everything Burned, Only the Torah Scrolls Were Rescued"

Rabbi Winfeld learned of the tragic news through a phone call, as the fire department called him early in the morning to inform him: "Come quickly to the synagogue, it's all on fire!"

The shock was indescribable. "When we arrived, the fire was still burning, and we couldn't even get close. Thank Hashem, the firefighters managed to salvage the Torah scrolls, which were saved miraculously, but many sacred books were burned. The entire building was aflame and completely destroyed. The fire spread to all the rooms, not just the prayer hall but also the children's activity room and study rooms. Everything was burned."

Rabbi Winfeld emphasizes that this was a new building they had moved into during the High Holidays. "Until then, we didn't have a proper place for prayers; rather, the synagogue was in our private home. The dedication was so moving, and the synagogue became a hub for community members who hadn't prayed before. We were so happy, and suddenly, everything was destroyed at once."

This terrible story didn't end there. "For several days, we prayed in an alternative location," he notes, "and this was the case for Shabbat too. However, come Saturday night, we discovered a break-in at the burned building, and all the valuable items left in the drawers were looted."

Do you have any idea who is responsible for these acts?

"No, we don't have a clue. The police are investigating. They have the images of that person from the security cameras and have also publicly released them. The police say they still don't know if this act was anti-Semitic, and only when they catch the suspect will they know. Regarding the looting that followed, there's no way to trace the suspects because the security cameras melted in the fire and didn't capture the break-in. We are now eagerly awaiting the outcome of the police investigation. We cannot understand who could do such a thing, we're shocked."

Do you think this was indeed an anti-Semitic attack?

"We don't know anything; we're waiting to hear. But generally, I can say there is no anti-Semitism in the area. On the contrary, residents here love Jews, and there is a lot of closeness and affection for the Jewish community. We never encountered anti-Semitic incidents. That's why this story is so chilling and hard for us."

"We Will Rebuild a Bigger and More Beautiful Synagogue"

However, in this tragic story, there is something uplifting. "We came to San Jose about two years ago with the goal of establishing a Chabad house," shares Rabbi Winfeld. "Until then, there were many Jews here, but there wasn't an official Chabad house. Since our arrival, there has been significant growth – we opened a Jewish school where students learn Hebrew and Judaism twice weekly, and we have classes for both men and women, along with many holiday-related activities for children and adults. We really see how our activities bring the community together and connect it to its roots. It warms the heart because there are many Israelis here whose souls are lit and seek to connect to Torah and mitzvot when they arrive. On the other hand, there are American Jews, many of whom unfortunately assimilated, some just moments before it's too late. Our aim is to bring everyone closer as much as possible. Chabad in the area also deals a lot with Jewish weddings and ceremonies according to Jewish law, and we even sent some boys to study at a yeshiva in New York. There's a lot of work here, but every small step, every small mitzvah a Jew does is massive for us."

The synagogue before the fire

And here he reaches the exciting detail: "Following the fire and break-in, an initiative started in our community where women took it upon themselves to light Shabbat candles every Friday. Some did it for one Shabbat, some committed for a month, each as they could. The idea is that after a destructive fire, we create a light of holiness. It's simply amazing and heartwarming; there's almost no woman in the community who didn't take it upon herself."

What will become of the synagogue? Are you planning to renovate it?

"Of course, we will renovate. It seems that from the heavens, they want us to have a bigger and more impressive building for the community. We've already started fundraising, and people in the community are donating in numbers and want to take the opportunity to build a magnificent, beautiful building, as the community indeed deserves."

Rabbi Winfeld notes that it is still unclear whether the new building will be constructed on the ruins of the old one or elsewhere. "But who knows, maybe something good will emerge from this story?" he says hopefully. "We, at any rate, continue to work energetically, that's why we came here, and nothing will weaken us."