The building that houses Temple Ahavat Achim was built more than 150 years ago, around 1840. It has always been a place of worship, but not always a synagogue.

The site became a temple in 1950, when the Unitarian Church sold it to the local Jewish community for $25,000.

The Rev. Wendy Fitting, pastor of the Independent Christian Church, Unitarian Universalist, said the Unitarian Church at that time had faded away, resulting in the sale of the building.

It wasn't until 1961 that the Unitarian and the Universalist churches merged and became the Independent Christian Church.

The historic church is just down Middle Street from the temple.

It was where members of the temple held a prayer service today.

Fitting said the church is open to the temple congregation for as long as it is needed.

"It works well because their Sabbath is Friday night and Saturday, and we meet Sunday morning," she said.

Members of the temple are grateful for the spiritual gesture.

"We are a community of people and the strength is that we have each other," said Carole Sharoff, co-president of the temple. "The building is important as it is an historic building with memories. But the great lost is the loss of the life and the building next door. We mourn that family and the people who were displaced and are homeless. That is our first concern, and to that end we are organizing a food and clothing drive for those who lived in the apartment building,"

Sharoff said the congregation has felt the kindness of the community and especially the firefighters.

The temple congregation is comprised of about 200 families, mainly from Cape Ann but also from other North Shore communities, including Beverly and Middleton.

The temple was not the first place worship to have been lost on Middle Street.

Trinity Congregational Church burned down in 1979. The congregation also found refuge at the Universalist Church until its new church was built.

Earlier, the Baptist Church on Middle Street hadburned down.

"Middle Street has lost another treasure," said Fitting.