On May 15, 16 months after the Palisades Fire, the nearly 900 families of Kehillat Israel (KI) will carry their Torah scrolls back into their sanctuary, marking one of the first returns by a religious institution to the Pacific Palisades since the January 2025 disaster. Of KI’s member families, 250 lost their homes entirely, and another 250 were temporarily displaced.
The synagogue’s reopening event also coincides with the celebration of KI Cantor Chayim Frenkel’s 40th anniversary of service to the Reconstructionist synagogue. According to a synagogue press release, “Frenkel’s family’s leadership and presence have been a cornerstone of KI’s spiritual identity for four decades and a source of comfort and hope throughout this period of rebuilding.”
“Returning home as a community is deeply emotional and personal for me,” Frenkel said. “Music and prayer have carried us through these past 16 months. Now, to be welcomed back into our cherished holy space, my family’s spiritual home for the past 40 years, is a blessing.”
Architecture firm Herman Coliver Locus Architecture, led by Principal Steven Rajninger and Project Manager Megan Costello, redesigned the 4,700-square-foot sanctuary to accommodate more than 400 congregants. New features include “The Portal,” an entry designed as a serene gateway into sacred space; a new ark; updated memorial walls; reconfigured acoustics via a suspended “Sound Cloud;” and enhanced audiovisual capabilities for in-person and virtual events.
The synagogue’s leadership say it’s not just a momentous occasion for the congregation but is significant for the larger Palisades community as well, as it helps restore a sense of faith that the community will reemerge stronger than ever and the neighborhood itself will come back.
“This is more than a physical reopening,” KI Senior Rabbi Amy Bernstein said. “It is a moment to gather again in a familiar space that has been transformed to meet our community members where they are now, a place of calm, reflection and belonging.”
Since the fire, the KI community has continued to prioritize in-person gatherings for worship services, meeting in several temporary locations across Los Angeles, including the Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica for Friday night services.
“At KI, our congregants, clergy and staff have held each other close and relied on one another for support ever since the fire devastated the Pacific Palisades last year,” KI Board President Matthew Ross said. “It’s been a long road to our reopening, but now that we’re back in our reimagined building, we’re excited once again to have a central gathering place for our beloved community.”
KI’s return to Pacific Palisades will be marked by several community gatherings and spiritual services, beginning with the May 15 sanctuary rededication and continuing throughout the year.
The Palisades synagogue was not the only Jewish community affected by the 2025 wildfires. The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center (PJTC) campus was destroyed during the Eaton Fire, though its Torah scrolls were rescued by community members. At least 20 congregants of PTJC lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. The Pasadena synagogue’s rebuild is being funded by “a combination of insurance coverage, FEMA, possible compensation from the SoCal Edison lawsuit for any uninsured losses, generous donations, grants and our capital campaign,” according to the synagogue’s website. In the meantime, it has been meeting at the First United Methodist Church of Pasadena, and its religious school has been gathering at a local K-12 school.
The return-to-the-Palisades event for Kehillat Israel takes place on May 15, with a Shabbat dinner at 5:30 p.m. and the rededication beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about the upcoming event, visit ourki.org/ccf40.
