Opinion: A miracle amid the fire

Scott Simon | January 25, 2025

It was painful for members of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center to see their synagogue burn down in the Eaton fire. The roof and walls, in which so many families had come together for prayers, songs, weddings, memorials, and celebrations, had crumbled into ruins.

But something extraordinary was also revealed: a mural, faint, aged, and slightly scorched, that had been concealed by a wall that burned away.

The mural shows what seems to be an artist’s imagining of life in centuries past. A few people play the flute. Someone pours something into a bowl. There is a bull, a donkey, a palm tree, and perhaps a cat, with men and women in long robes. There is a child held in a mother’s arms.

“I initially thought it was a Biblical scene,” Kristine Garroway, who is a member of the congregation and a Professor of Bible at Hebrew Union College, told us.

“I began to go through the Hebrew Bible in my head. I believe now the mural may be a compilation, to show various moments of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness.”

Professor Garroway’s teenage sons played basketball at the center’s gym the night before it burned down; her youngest will turn 13 and become a Bar Mitzvah later this year. She is not sure where they’ll have the ceremony.

The rabbi and staff saved their synagogue’s 13 Torahs from burning, and vow to rebuild their temple for the community that has gathered there for a century. But how many members who have lost their homes nearby will have to move elsewhere?

Professor Garroway and other congregants are trying to learn more about how the mural came to be painted, in a building that had been a roadhouse and a warehouse during the 1920’s. It may have been to decorate a restaurant, for some kind of religious mission, or just a rest stop.

“But seeing the mural is a true miracle,” says Kristine Garroway. “It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t painted for the synagogue, or that it is likely a made-up Biblical moment. What matters is that the scene shows life abundant: adults, children, food, drink, and music. This scene rises above the ashes.”

Transcript:

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

It’s painful for members of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center to see their synagogue burnt down in the Eaton fire. The roof and walls in which so many families had come together for prayers, songs, weddings, memorials and celebrations had crumbled into ruins. But something extraordinary was also revealed – a mural, faint, aged and slightly scorched, that had been concealed by a wall that burned away. The mural shows what seems to be an artist’s imagining of life in centuries past. A few people play the flute. Someone pours something into a bowl. There’s a bull, a donkey, a palm tree and perhaps a cat, with men and women in long robes. There is a child held in a mother’s arms.

I initially thought it was a biblical scene. Kristine Garroway, who’s a member of the congregation and a professor of Bible at Hebrew Union College, told us. I began to go through the Hebrew Bible in my head. I believe now the mural may be a compilation to show various moments of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. Professor Garroway’s teenage sons played basketball at the center’s gym the night before it burned down. Her youngest will turn 13 and become a bar mitzvah later this year. She is not sure where they’ll have the ceremony.

The rabbi and staff saved their synagogue’s 13 Torahs from burning and vowed to rebuild their temple for the community that’s gathered there for a century. But how many members who have lost their homes nearby will have to move elsewhere?

Professor Garroway, and other congregants are trying to learn more about how the mural came to be painted in a building that had been a roadhouse and a warehouse during the 1920s. It may have been to decorate a restaurant or some kind of religious mission or just a rest stop.

But seeing the mural is a true miracle, says Kristine Garroway. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t painted for the synagogue or that it is likely a made-up biblical moment. What matters is that the scene shows life abundant – adults, children, food, drink and music. This scene rises above the ashes.

(SOUNDBITE OF KLEZMER JUICE’S “ELI ELI”)