(JTA) — When the Eaton wildfires in Southern California razed the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center in January, its Torahs were all that remained.
That meant the synagogue was in the market for a new sukkah this month as Sukkot neared. It found one with the help of a Reform congregation in the East Bay.
Anshei Isaiah, the men’s club of Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, donated a sukkah to PJTC, a 100-year-old Conservative synagogue now operating out of temporary accommodations.
“While this past year was a tragic one for the congregants and clergy of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, it has been inspiring to witness the incredible resilience and the determination of this sacred community,” Anshei Isaiah president Andy Shapiro said in a statement. “As Jews, we could think of no greater mitzvah than by helping rebuild their Sukkah and joining with our brothers and sisters to welcome the new year.”
The sukkah, which was purchased from The Sukkah Project in Colorado, was built on Oct. 5 by members of PJTC’s men’s club as well as members of Anshei Isaiah, who traveled over 350 miles to see its completion.
It was open during the holiday to PJTC’s 400 families, who are still reeling from a fire that devastated their community. The synagogue has plans to rebuild on its former site.
On Oct. 6, the two congregations participated in a joint virtual observance in their sukkahs.
“We are all one interconnected Jewish family,” Temple Isaiah Senior Rabbi Jill Perlman said in a statement. “Building the sukkah for our community has long been a beloved yearly tradition of our men’s club here at Isaiah, and I am glad they are able to share the love of this tradition with Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center through the donation of a sukkah.”