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| Torah scroll being removed from the synagogue |
A popular Chabad synagogue in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Jerusalem burned down after a faulty Shabbat timer ignited, according to a statement released by firefighters in Jerusalem, Israel.
The fire broke out on Shabbat afternoon. The fire caused major damage to the building, luckily, no one was injured. The fire destroyed many books of the synagogue. The Torah scrolls, which were kept in a safe, was not damaged. The Torah scrolls were later relocated safely by members of the synagogue.
The timer that was used to turn the lights and the air conditioning system on and off, malfunctioned for some reason and exploded. "It was a terrible sight to see," a regular member of the synagogue said. "It hurt to see the synagogue on fire," he added.
“The entire Jewish community of Givat Shaul was saddened after watching the synagogue go up in flames. Hopefully, the synagogue will quickly be rebuilt bigger and better. Meanwhile, Chabad followers will have to pray at a temporary location,” Ben Weber, 30, of Jerusalem, Israel told YourJewishNews.com after seeing the synagogue burn down.
The Torah scrolls were removed after firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.