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The sheer volume of 2,000 arrivals a year, of course, poses a constant challenge -- though to Pil, it's an opportunity.
If his organization doesn't collapse under its own weight, he is poised for even more significant growth. His dream of a full-fledged Hebrew day school is on its way to being realized with the down payment on the building at Balboa and 34th Avenue. So is his Russian-language synagogue, the second concrete manifestation of Pil's spiritual empire. Whether he expands his presence beyond these remains to be seen.
At the same time, the DA's Office is determining whether any actions that caused the warehouse fire really were violations of Pil's lease. And federal and state charities regulators, now that he's such a public figure, have Pil fully in their sights.
All of which means that Pil's story, too, remains unfinished.
