4-Alarm Fire Destroys Historic Synagogue in Rutherford, NJ

August 8 2025 RUTHERFORD, NJ:A four-alarm fire tore through Congregation Beth El, a historic synagogue located on Montross Avenue, around 3 a.m. Friday morning.

Firefighters from multiple departments responded to the scene and battled intense flames. Live wires in front of the building complicated efforts, and the three-story structure ultimately collapsed. The building is considered a total loss.

The synagogue’s rabbi and his family, six people in total, were inside at the time but escaped safely. No injuries have been confirmed, though some firefighters may have received on-site treatment.

Congregation Beth El had previously been the target of a firebombing in January 2012, when Molotov cocktails were thrown at the building in what was investigated as a hate crime.

The cause of Friday’s fire remains under investigation. No further information is available at this time.