AUSTIN, Texas — Members of Congregation Beth Israel in Austin knew after dealing with the aftermath of an arson attack in 2021 that scorched their place of worship, they would have to find a way to rebuild and move forward.
"We can't use the old sanctuary. We have security issues with it, as well. So what are we going to do? Where are we going to go? And over time, the decision was made that we would create a transitional worship space," said Lauren Corman, a congregant who led the effort to create that space.
Corman, along with other members of the synagogue, moved feet away to the area where social events are put together and revamped it with a stage, the stained glass panels that were once framed above the front doors of the old sanctuary and other symbolic pieces that will be set in place in the coming weeks.
"The goal was to bring every aspect in every generation of our congregation into this one space because [Franklin Sechriest] doesn't win," Corman said.
The old sanctuary sits with boxes scattered, plywood and crime tape in front of the entrance that serves as a reminder that although the pieces are not fully glued back together, hope remains in their new space.
"There is something different about getting to worship in our own space with items that are ... beautiful, sacred things that are ours," Corman said.
Rabbi Kelly Levy also shared that sentiment as she welcomed the Jewish community into their first service in what will be their permanent worship space.
"We keep moving forward. We keep finding strength and that power to move forward, and when we do that, we find community. We find love, " Levy said.
Austin Councilmember Alison Alter (District 10) is a member of the synagogue and was also in attendance. In July, Alter and her colleagues launched the Anti-Hate Education and Outreach Initiative aimed at better accessing tools to report hate crimes and incidents, as well as advocating for peace across the city.
The attack on the synagogue was just one factor in pushing forward with the campaign.
"The hate is still there, but the way that we fight it is by coming together," Alter said. "It's really heartening to see how resilient our community is. But every community shouldn't have to go through what we've gone through, and so my hope is that we, as a city, can stand up and say that, 'We all belong.'"
The suspect charged in the arson attack, 20-year-old Franklin Sechriest, has pleaded guilty to an arson charge and a hate crime charge. His sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 29, and he faces up to 20 years in prison.