(Beth Germano/WBZ-TV)
BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — When one of Temple Emeth's 500-pound menorahs was vandalized, Michael Hynes stepped forward to help.
What's extraordinary is that he was not a member of the congregation. Hynes owns two auto body shops—he's Irish Catholic, and had never interacted with anyone from the temple.
Vandals tore the menorah from its foundation in November 2018, and a police officer found it less than a mile away.
Huge Metal Menorah Recovered After Theft From Brookline Temple
It's not cheap to weld, re-wire, and re-install a giant menorah, but Hynes called the temple to say he would repair it, free of charge.
"It's a neighbor, we're not in the menorah repair business," Hynes told WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal. "When we did it, we figured that, because it's such a small neighborhood in a small community, we probably would touch on somebody that's probably customers here. They're all really nice people."
Hynes and volunteers did all the work for free, including re-paving the area where it stood before being torn away.
"When I saw it, I felt that they were really going to get whacked, and I didn't think that it was going to be that big of a thing," he said. "We do a lot of business with people in this neighborhood. Giving back is probably one of the best things I can do."
He said he is a bit weirded out by the attention, though. He said someone from his bank called him to tell him they were inspired to do something good because of what he did.
One of Hynes' children's friends is Jewish, and sent Hynes a text:
"You're a legend," it read.
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports
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