At a Glance
- 400 members of Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center held a remembrance on the site where their synagogue once stood
- The Eaton Fire destroyed the 1941 building in January 2024
- Planning is underway for a new center to open in the next few years
- Why it matters: The ceremony highlights how faith communities rebuild after disaster and find strength in unity
Nearly one year after flames claimed their spiritual home, the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center community returned to the empty lot on Altadena Drive. What they found was absence-and each other.
A Year After the Flames
On a quiet Tuesday, 400 people formed a circle where pews once stood. They came with songs, prayers, and stories to mark the loss of a building that had anchored Jewish life in Pasadena for more than a century.
Rabbi Josh Ratner told the gathering:
> “It’s a lot to lose, and at the same time, we’ve really grown in terms of the amount of solidarity we’ve shown one another. The way we’ve cared for one another, the way we’ve held one another, it has made our community stronger.”
From Ashes to Action
Firefighters battled to save the structure, but the Eaton Fire won. The 1941 building was reduced to rubble, leaving only memories and resolve.
Andrea Mark, who also lost her Altadena home in the same fire, said the spirit of the congregation survived:
> “The spirit is still so vibrant … The community is still very much together.”
Mark credits strangers’ kindness for her own turnaround:
> “I was given this blessing of all these kind people and kind strangers, so now it’s up to me to pay it forward, so I can be kind to others and hope they will pay it forward, too.”
Key Takeaways
- The Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center, founded over 100 years ago, is already designing its new home
- Construction is expected to finish within the next few years
- Tuesday’s ceremony emphasized resilience, not ruins
- Community members say the fire forged tighter bonds than ever
As shovels prepare to break ground on a new sanctuary, the congregation carries forward the lesson etched by loss: bricks may crumble, but a united community endures.
