The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center community has seen growth and resilience in the year following the Eaton fire, which destroyed its synagogue, preschool, and thousands of books. Despite losing their historic building, members have continued to gather for services and celebrations in temporary locations such as a Catholic high school auditorium, a Methodist church, and private backyards.
Laurence Harris, a longtime member whose family helped save several Torahs during the fire, noted an increase in participation over the past year. “Attendance and services have been higher than they’ve ever been,” he said. “I think 400 people are showing up on a Tuesday night to share in the sadness and the mourning of the one-year anniversary, and also the hope for the future.”
On the anniversary of the fire, congregants gathered under a tent on the site where their sanctuary had stood since 1941. Rabbi Joshua Ratner spoke about the enduring spirit of the congregation: “PJTC never has been defined by walls,” he said. “It is defined by our congregants and by the strength of our shared purpose. Our crisis, our grief, our loss also contains within it the seeds of a rebirth that we consecrate this evening.”
Temple president Clark Linstone announced that plans for rebuilding are expected to be completed within a year. During the event, he recognized Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger for her efforts in getting debris cleared from religious sites after the fire. Barger commented on her involvement: “I’m grateful that you gave me the opportunity to make it happen because what happened here helped every single faith-based church in the area.”
However, not all attendees were satisfied with local officials’ actions during last year’s disaster. Izzy T., who declined to give his full name, criticized Barger for what he described as inadequate support for west Altadena residents during evacuation efforts. “It’s devastating to see people of a marginalized community in Altadena be completely ignored,” he said.
Many neighbors affected by both this fire and previous ones reflected on their losses during holiday gatherings. Crystal Davis recalled how Christmas was difficult without her usual block party guests after losing her home for a second time to wildfire.
Judy Hill spoke about ongoing emotional struggles since surviving last year’s fire: “It’s a lot of PTSD picking up,” she said.
Mark Aguilnik joined PJTC after moving from Chicago in 2020 and now feels more connected than ever with fellow members: “When you lose something, you realize how impactful it is and you didn’t know how much you loved it until it’s taken away,” he said. “I think that clergy and leadership have done an exceptional job at finding space and really making us understand that the synagogue is the community – it’s not a physical structure … I feel like there’s a better sense of community because we had something happen to us.”
Rabbi Edward Feinstein closed out programming with words focused on hope amid hardship: “Loss can break us. Loss leaves us dizzy with grief and with pain and with rage,” he said. “But sometimes a blessing comes our way. And as we reach ourselves out of the darkness of loss, light can reach us.”
The evening ended with music from Mostly Kosher performing L’Chaim from Fiddler on the Roof as attendees danced together.
