The synagogue blaze started after the evening services on a Friday night, and by the time the firefighters arrived there was little left to be salvaged. The next morning tearful congregants found their entire synagogue gutted, religious objects destroyed and the Torah scroll badly damaged.

Three and half years ago, Rabbi Yisroel Spalter, his wife Leah and their three children (now they have five) founded Congregation Beth Menachem in this small Florida town. Now it appeared that an electrical fire had caused much of their efforts to go up in smoke.

With his fledgling congregation homeless, Rabbi Spalter did not mince words in describing the impact on him and his congregants. "The pain is reminiscent of our pain from the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago," Spalter said.

"But," the rabbi immediately continued, "we always have to look to the future, and from the ashes here we will rebuild and make things even better than before."

Still reeling from the blow, the Spalters have already made temporary arrangements to enable the 120 member synagogue's activities to continue without interruption. Neighbors' homes are being used for prayer minyans and study classes have been relocated to the Spalters' living room.

Accelerated preparations are being made to move the synagogue into trailers on a three-acre plot of land, which the congregation recently purchased as the site for its future synagogue. Plans have already been drawn for a Chabad Center with a library, pre-school, adult-education academy and a summer camp.

"Every bad incident must lead to something good," notes Leah Spalter, the Weston Chabad co-director. "Naturally, the shul's destruction was tragic, but for our community this a real moment of growth.