English Other Religion

Hello everyone,

From the book Thank You for Being Late by Thomas Friedman.

Mr. Friedman talks about Debra Stone, an African American woman who was interviewed by Jeff Norman.

Did she ever attend a bar mitzvah or a bat mitzvah?
“Yes, I have,” said Stone. “My good Jewish friend, Pam Russ—I went to her son’s and her daughter’s bat mitzvah. She grew up in Robbinsdale. I didn’t get to be friends with her until a little bit later. ***We were at Temple Israel, and I attended bar mitzvahs*** and the parties for the kids. Pam is much more down-to-earth, so it was really kind of a nice affair— grandparents, and relatives, and friends, both Gentile and Jewish. It was a really moving ceremony, I felt—could understand why the kids would go through this process.”

https://templeisrael.com/

We were at Temple Israel, and I attended bar mitzvahs and the parties for the kids

The sentence in question looks simple but something still seems a bit unclear to me. What exactly does the sentece imply? Does it imply as follows: Stone visited (came into) that synagogue, saw Pam there and got to be friends with her (and Temple Israel was the place where Stone attended bar mitzvas and the parties for the kids)? Or can "We were at Temple Israel" imply that Stone and Pam were members/parishioners of that synagogue, not that they were phisically present at Temple Israel when they became friends?

Thank you.