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Rabbi, family escape burning synagogue, a 'devastating' loss for NJ community

By and
Updated  August 8, 2025 7:46am EDT
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FOX 5 NY
Fire breaks out at NJ synagogue, rabbi's family inside

Fire breaks out at NJ synagogue, rabbi's family inside

A major fire broke out at a synagogue in Rutherford, New Jersey, early on Friday morning, where the rabbi, his wife and children were sleeping inside. FOX 5 NY's Stephanie Bertini has the latest breaking news from the scene

The Brief

    • A major fire broke out at a synagogue in Rutherford, New Jersey, early Friday morning, resulting in a complete loss of the building.
    • The rabbi, his wife, and their six children were sleeping inside but escaped unharmed.
    • The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
    • The synagogue was previously targeted in a firebombing incident in 2012.

RUTHERFORD, NJ - A synagogue in Rutherford, New Jersey, was destroyed by a major fire early Friday morning. The rabbi, his wife, and their six children, who were all sleeping inside when the blaze started, managed to escape the building unharmed.

What we know:

The call for help came in shortly before 3 a.m. after a fire alarm went off inside the Congregation Beth-El synagogue on Montrose Avenue. Fire crews responded quickly to the scene, but the blaze was described as "very intense" and spread rapidly due to the building's wooden structure.

The mayor of Rutherford, who was on the scene, called the fire "absolutely devastating" for the entire community. Despite the total loss of the structure, all six family members were able to get out safely.

SkyFOX aerial coverage of the smoke billowing from the synagogue.

The Borough of Rutherford issued an alert on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the fire began, advising residents near the corner of Montrose and Fairview avenues to be on the lookout for falling embers.

It was also noted that the same synagogue was the target of a firebombing incident in January 2012, which led to the arrest of a 19-year-old man. While fire crews have extinguished the main flames, officials are continuing to work on hotspots and investigate the cause of the fire. The community has been left with many questions as officials continue their work.

What they're saying:

Congregation Beth-El posted the following statement to its website:

"Early Friday morning, a large fire ripped through our beautiful synagogue; thankfully, Rabbi Yitzchok and Bina Lerman were able to get it just in time before the entire building was engulfed in flames.

This is a devastating loss; all support is very much appreciated at this time.

We’re going to rebuild bigger and stronger than we were before!"

NewsRutherford