NEW JERSEY SYNAGOGUE BURNS DOWN WHILE RABBI AND FAMILY ESCAPE. (PHOTO).

 New Jersey synagogue burns down while rabbi and family escape

A fire destroyed a New Jersey synagogue early Friday morning, with the rabbi, his wife, and four of their children narrowly escaping unharmed.

The blaze broke out around 2:50 a.m. at Congregation Beth El, located in a residential area of Rutherford, according to Mayor Frank Nunziato. Authorities said there is no evidence to suggest the fire was intentionally set.

When firefighters arrived, the synagogue was already engulfed in flames, and parts of the structure had begun to collapse. The fire escalated to a four-alarm status, prompting assistance from 14 nearby fire departments.

Rabbi Yitzchok Lerman and his family were sleeping in an apartment inside the building when the fire started. The rabbi, his wife, and four children quickly got dressed and escaped just moments before the building began collapsing.

“We saw orange flames outside our window, so we grabbed our children and ran out,” Rabbi Lerman recalled. “I tried to go back for our Torah scrolls, but the flames had already consumed the entire building. It happened that fast.”

Due to the destruction, the synagogue will not hold its usual Friday night service, but a gathering is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday in tents on the property.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire was still unknown Friday morning, though there were no signs of arson. The building, established in 1919 and originally a large residential home, contained aged wood and varnish, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.

In 2012, the synagogue was previously targeted in an attack when a 19-year-old man threw a Molotov cocktail at the building while riding by on a bicycle. The suspect was also charged with a similar attack on a synagogue in Paramus.