Early one dark morning in December of 1989, I learned that there had been a catastrophic fire at my synagogue, Congregation Brith Sholem in Ogden. The police report stated that it was a case of arson. Two unidentified men had broken into the sanctuary and set it ablaze. The holy ark, which contained our two Torah scrolls, appeared to have been specifically targeted. No one was ever caught, nor did any person or group claim credit for the fire. Our tight-knit community was terribly distraught and fearful that this was an act of anti-Semitism. 

While the building’s walls remained intact, suffering only minimal damage, its interior was badly destroyed. We worried about how and when we could begin to repair the synagogue. 

I had been a member of its board of directors but was no longer serving on it at that time. The Tachmans, another Jewish family, lived right across the street from us. Cindy, the mom, was on the board. A few days after the fire, she stopped by to give us an update. She said that our congregation’s president, Steve Haas, had received a call from an official in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offering to help with the reconstruction, financially and otherwise. But Steve turned down the Church’s offer, believing that our insurance coverage was sufficient to handle the repairs. Yet Cindy was an interior designer and knew it was unlikely that our insurance would cover the costs.

I asked if she knew who in the Church had made the call, saying that if Steve didn’t mind, I would be happy to get back to him and revisit the issue. Cindy found out that the man who called was Reed Smoot. Before calling, I learned that he was a direct descendant of one of the Church’s most significant leaders, another Reed Smoot, who was a United States Senator from Utah for 30 years.

I was able to get in touch with Elder Smoot, who was both gracious and understanding when I explained that we could indeed use the Church’s help. A recalculation had revealed that our insurance might only cover half of the expenses, which was estimated to be about $50,000. Elder Smoot responded that he would investigate the matter, determine the best way to help us, and would get back to me as soon as he could. 

The congregation began to plan for the renovation. The entire interior had to be replaced. This included a new ark, seating, inside wall surfaces, chairs, lighting, and windows. Cindy and the renovation committee created plans for the remodel, and reached out to my wife Linda to design the glass work for the windows and the ark. Many members of the congregation took home small items, like candlesticks and menorahs, polishing them before returning to the renovated shul (synagogue).

After a few months, I received a call from Elder Smoot. He said that the Church had something for us, and asked if it would be okay to stop by the synagogue to bring it over. A time was arranged to meet with them. At the appointed hour, we stood by its entrance as three white Lincoln Continentals drove up. Several couples emerged from the cars. Elder Smoot introduced himself and the others, and after a brief chat, asked us to join together at the trunk of his car.  It was stuffed with dozens of shoeboxes, each holding thick stacks of cash. Some even had coins. He opened the trunks of the other cars, each one similarly jam-packed. Elder Smoot then told us how this came to be. 

Church leaders decided to inform each of their individual congregations or wards in northern Utah about the plight of their Jewish neighbors. They asked each congregant to consider making a donation to support the synagogue’s renovation and proceeded to pass around a shoebox. The fruits of their efforts were now in the trunks of their cars. They had collected about $40,000. We were awestruck by the nature of this astonishing gift as well as the amount. After we expressed our deep gratitude and showed them how the renovation was going, the leaders left.

About two months later, I received a call from another Church leader, Elder Stephen Nadauld, who had recently been president of Weber State University and was now working for the Church. He informed me that more donations had come in and asked if he could drop them off. Once again, we were stunned to receive approximately another $30,000 in shoeboxes.  

This astounding gift had a profound impact on our congregation’s finances. The substantial sum not only allowed us to nicely complete the renovation but it also provided support for other activities, such as offering scholarships to Jewish summer camps. Moreover, it was truly heartwarming to be the recipient of such kindness and generosity from so many throughout our region. This expression of support did a lot to ease the pain caused by the devastation of our temple, leaving an indelible memory for all.

Feature Image courtesy of Congregation Brith Sholem  Facebook page.