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http://www.wickedlocal.com/gloucester/homepage/x805331032

http://wbztv.com/local/fatal.Gloucester.fire.2.611573.html

http://wbztv.com/slideshows/fatal.gloucester.fire.20.611575.html

http://www.redtram.com/go/68737198/

http://www.gloucestertimes.com/breakingnews/local_slideshow_349155641

This is (was) our temple, Temple Ahavat Achim in Gloucester MA. As I entered Gloucester yesterday to take my son to services, a pungent odor filled the otherwise salty morning air. As I looked around for the source of the smell, it occurred to me that there must have been a fire somewhere. As I turned the corner to the temple, I was astonished to see our beloved 170 year old temple building razed to the ground from a raging fire. As the story began to unfold, I learned that the fire originated in the old apartment complex next door and claimed the life of one man. The fire consume everything, even our sacred Torah scrolls.

In the words of our Rabbi Emeritus Geller, "My heart was broken when I learned this morning of the loss of our beloved, beautiful and historic synagogue building. Almost two centuries of human experience, devotion to God and the marking of life's passages of birth, marriage and death were celebrated there. How many emotions of joy and sadness were expressed within those walls, how many holy days marked! How vital to generations of our own congregation who with such pride, transformed the historic First Parish Church building into Temple Ahavat Achim's remarkable home! We sorrow for the loss of a single human life in the fire. We grieve for the displaced and their struggles. We are grateful for the support we receive from neighbors and friends who share our pain.