By Rich Scinto, NewHaven Register
Members of the Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont Wednesday buried the remains of books and other religious items at the Beth Israel/Orchard Street Cemetery after they were damaged in a Sunday morning fire at the Milford synagogue.
Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm read from Psalm 79, which is about the destruction of a holy temple.
“Of course we ask, why praise God for an utter destruction,” Wilhelm said. “And the answer:because it was brick and mortar that were destroyed, and not living, breathing people.”
He and others at the service thanked God that no one was hurt in the blaze and the two sacred Torahs inside were saved. The Torahs have to be analyzed by a scribe to determine if the damage can be undone.
It’s suspected the origin of the fire at the historic 15 Edgefield Ave. synagogue was electrical.
“It’s just really sad,” said Sheri Bruder, who went to the burial ceremony to support friends of the congregation. “I just hope they can rebuild really soon and save the Torahs.”
Wilhelm, synagogue President Joel Levitz and other members of the congregation solemnly placed books and other items damaged in the fire into a burial plot.
“This is being replaced by a brighter future and we hope that they look at Judaism that way as they grow up and learn,” Wilhelm said of young boys participating in the burial. “We have to do this because of the situation, but this will be replaced and, in a way, they are the replacement, they are the future.”
For many, the synagogue carried with it memories from older generations, Wilhelm said. He recalled how the granddaughter of two people who were memorialized on destroyed glass panels burst into tears after he placed them on the ground.
“For her, the synagogue was a living memorial to generations in her family,” he said.
The congregation hopes to go out to bid within a few months to restore the building, Levitz said. He and others met with the insurance company and are in the claim process.
The new synagogue will be winterized so it can be be used year-round, Wilhelm said.
“The fire has just spurred us on to speed that process and to rebuild in its place a year-round center for Jewish life,” he said.
Support for the congregation continues to pour in, Levitz said. The congregation will hold its next religious service at the Tri-Beach Community Center, thanks in part to Milford Mayor Ben Blake.
“When bad things happen, good things happen, too,” he said about the support from the community.
Local synagogues and others from New Jersey and Massachusetts have offered their support, Levitz said. Local Christian communities also have offered their spaces for use.
Those who wish to donate to the rebuilding fund can access information and donate directly at the Jewish Milford website, www.jewishmilford.com.
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Don’t u have to place the sfarim into plstic bags and mezuzos, and things written on parchment into plastic or glass jars. BEeFORE burial? My sofer told me so when i buried some “shamois”.
wow i am so happy the safer torah’s were saved