By Esta Z. Lichtenstein, WLCJ International Vice President, Communications and Calendar Diary Chair
Turning 80
Not me, but my synagogue celebrated their 80th birthday in May of this year and it was a wonderful event, over 250 people, a catered dinner and dressy clothes. Festive and fun, friends we had not seen in years and former members. Like many communities, our synagogue gives out two awards named after people who very instrumental in the creation of our shul: the C. Bernie Sigalove Yesod Award for public service and dedication to Jewish communal life along with the Lillian and Maurice Geshelin Humanitarian Award.
We had so many members that we had not seen in a while. Eighty years ago this month the war in Europe ended. Our Jewish population was decimated, but there were 17 local, Jewish families who wanted to be together and pray. Our synagogue got its name, Temple Israel, not from the land of Eretz Yisroel, or from a biblical forefather, but from a member of the community who opened his home for services, Israel Muskat. In October of 1944, this group of families, our founders, purchased a property and the adjacent land for $4,000 of their own money. At that time there were 22 Jewish families in the area. As our Rabbi Emeritus Dan Liben stated: “We – you and me – are the spiritual descendants of those first 22 families.”
The first bar mitzvah was celebrated in 1946 (and the bar mitzvah boy is still an active temple member). Temple Israel Sisterhood was founded on June 16, 1950.
In September of 1954 we joined what was then the United Synagogue of America and in 1954, our first bat mitzvah on a Friday evening. Our population grew to 160-member families in 1958.
We have an amazing group at our synagogue. They are known as the “ark builders”, and they have not only designed and built our bimah, Aron Kodesh and lecterns but also arks for a day school in our area and pieces for the local library. The ark builders have also published a book about their story that we now present to our B-Mitzvah students.
In the late 1960’s Temple Israel ‘s board of directors voted to allow women to be counted for a minyan and participate in services on the bimah! By 1978 our membership had grown to almost 600 families. We had our first female president in 1985-1987.
Today, 80 year later, we still have 380+ members and a thriving community with two minyanim daily and I am a proud member of Temple Israel, Temple Israel Sisterhood and the Executive Board of Women’s League for Conservation Judaism. And I still have a few years to go to my own 80th.
We – you and me – are the future of WLCJ.
Esta Z. Lichtenstein
WLCJ International Vice President, Communications and Calendar Diary Chair
elichtenstein@wlcj.org
