Firefighters battle temple fire in Beachwood

BEACHWOOD, Ohio (WOIO) -Multiple firefighters responded to a fire at a temple Thursday afternoon.

Crews were called to the Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in the 23000 block of Fairmount around 2:45 p.m.

School was in session at the time, according to firefighters on scene, but all students were evacuated quickly and taken to a safe location where their parents could pick them up.

Senior Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk tells 19 News, “Everyone here at our Fairmount Temple facility is safe and sound, due to the quick work of our staff and faculty of our early childhood center.”

The below video is courtesy of Derek Gabriel.

According to their website, Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple is a Reform Jewish temple, the oldest existing Jewish congregation in the Cleveland area. The temple has been at this particular location on Fairmount since 1957.

The name Anshe Chesed is Hebrew for “People of Loving Kindness”. The congregation’s membership exceeded 2,000 families in the mid-1990s.

Senior Rabbi Nosanchuk tells 19 News that the fire came at a heightened time, the last day of Passover. But the synagogue was able to conclude it’s final observances of the holiday before the fire broke out, “What I want to assure you of is that this sacred place, this synagogue is here and standing and will stay. We are just assessing the damage.”

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.

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