89-year-old man reacts to his childhood Jewish temple being lost in Eaton fire

By KCRA Staff

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    LOS ANGELES COUNTY, California (KCRA) — Among the thousands of structures burned in this week’s Los Angeles County Wildfires is the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center, which is now destroyed.

The Eaton fire tore through neighborhoods early Wednesday.

“When I heard the amount of destruction, especially in the Pasadena, Altadena area where I grew up, it was very emotional. I got more emotional than I did when it first started,” said 89-year-old Milton Greene who now lives in Lincoln.

Greene and his family moved to when he was 7 years old.

“My parents joined the temple. I joined the temple. My bar mitzvah there. I went to Hebrew school there. I was confirmed there. My first marriage was there,” said Greene.

The history of the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center dates back to the late 1800’s

The congregation moved into the Spanish style building on Altadena Dr. in the 1940’s.

The temple posted this message on their website saying in part:

“We are devastated to report that PJTC’s buildings caught fire last night… We were able to rescue all our torah scrolls from the sanctuary, chapel, and classrooms. They are safely in the home of one of our congregants.”

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