Congregation B’nai Israel has been very lucky in its over 100 years of existence never to had too much to deal with as an emergency. In another page, we’ll feature pictures from the one time that there was hate-based vandalism at the cemetery with overturned stones and swastikas. Once or twice, vandals drew swastikas on or near the synagogue proper. But, one fateful night, we had a very dangerous hit on the Jewish Community Centre. Someone climbed up the fire escape stairs from the sanctuary and leaned over to the windows leading to the mezzanine, broke in, and proceeded to light a fire on the terrazzo. The smoke and flame was discovered at about 2:00 in the morning and the president at the time, Howard Slepkov, was called by the police and the fire department who had managed to catch the fire in time. It was quickly established that other than smoke and some charring on the floor, the building was undamaged. Thanks to the insurance money which we eventually claimed, the gymnasium / auditorium was completely repainted and repapered, everything was cleaned throughout the building and all was put back to the way it was. What was lost and never replaced was the beautiful velvet curtain which used to hang on the stage as well as stone plaques donated when the building first opened which were replaced by the Tree of Life that we use to this day.
