No cause has been determined yet for a suspicious fire that destroyed a North Side synagogue, police officials said Monday.
In a traditional ceremony at Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in North Riverside, religious leaders Monday buried the three Torah Scrolls that were severely damaged when the Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe synagogue, 6335 N. California Ave., burned to the ground. The scrolls, which contain the basic teachings and laws of Judaism, are considered sacred objects.
Joseph Grubisek, commander of the Chicago Police Department bomb and arson unit, said investigators won’t be able to determine what caused the blaze until they excavate beneath the roof, which collapsed.
The synagogue, a social service agency that has aided Jewish refugees since 1973, has set up temporary headquarters at 3107 W. Devon Ave.
