Source: The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/11/nyregion/11FIRE.html?ex=1067054400&en=439140188f2f1159&ei=5070
On September 11, 2003 The New York Times reported on the aftermath of a fire at a New York synagogue: "The fire, thought to be electrical in origin, destroyed the older half of the synagogue. It was not declared under control until early Tuesday afternoon, but by nighttime, hundreds of congregants were meeting at Temple Israel, a neighboring synagogue, making plans for the immediate future. Rabbi Lester B. Bronstein said...that the old part of the temple, a stone-and-wood structure that was built as a house in 1924, represented the heart and soul of the synagogue for many people. It contained the old sanctuary, the setting of some of the most important events in the lives of generations of congregants. But Rabbi Bronstein added that from the time he arrived on the scene Tuesday morning, he was heartened — and a bit awed — by the offers of help. 'They came,' he said, 'from everyone I knew and everyone I didn't know. From fellow rabbis to church clergy to school officials, they all just keep showing up with these offers.'"