Beit Harambam United in Times of Adversity – Jewish Exponent
Posted By admin on May 4, 2022
An increasing number of young members has made Beit Harambam text study classes an opportunity to build friendships. | Courtesy of Moshe Asiag
Congregation Beit Harambam has never had any trouble gathering a minyan for prayers three times a day.
Whenever congregant Moshe Asiag has attended shul six days a week, three times a day hes been joined by 30-40 other men, far exceeding the minimum 10 needed to pray.
Congregants loyalty to Beit Harambam and each other is unwavering.
When an arson burned down the Verree Road synagogue in 2000, upon finding their building destroyed early Saturday morning, Beit Harambam members opted to daven outside, completing their Shabbat service after rescuing their sefer Torah and prayer books.
Beit Harambam president Yaacov Avraham insists that there is nothing unique about his synagogue community, but the demographics tell a different story.
One of few area Sephardic synagogues, Beit Harambam is primarily home to Israeli expatriates. While Hebrew is often heard in American synagogues during prayer, its not often the common tongue during post-Shabbat schmoozing. At Beit Harambam, its the norm.
Its like a big Israeli family, Rabbi Moshe Arbiv said.
Founded in 1978 by Moroccan-born Rabbi Amiram Gabay now retired Beit Harambam was originally a meeting space in Gabays basement in his Rhawnhurst home. The space was home to Sephardic and Mizrahi Orthodox Jews from Morocco, Iraq and Libya, as well as its large Israeli population.
In the next decade, the synagogue expanded and moved to its humble space on Verree Road, a converted house that blends in with the residential area there. The community multiplied to 300 before the May 2000 fire.
Though police investigations were never conclusive about the motives behind the fire, synagogue leadership was certain that the action was a hate crime.
This is pure antisemitism, Avraham said.
Avraham, who has been synagogue president for the past 20 years and replaced the founding rabbis son Eli Gabay, was one of the congregants who arrived at the synagogue shortly after authorities put out the fire.
We stood outside. We were just in shock, Avraham said.
Firefighters were able to rescue the synagogues Torahs and salvage some prayer books, but other texts and more than 50 tallitot were destroyed.
Asiag, whos been a Beit Harambam member for seven years, sometimes uses a prayer book with burn marks or singed edges.
Though the fire remains a dark spot in the synagogues history, it provided a way for the synagogue to expand to accommodate its ballooning membership.
With funding help from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Jewish Community Relations Council, Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia and American Jewish Congress, Beit Harambam was able to rebuild its original space, as well as create an expansion with a larger prayer space and social hall. The project was completed in 2011.
Beit Harambam now offers Torah study classes for men, Tehillim study groups for women and an informal gemach loan-free social service to members who may need financial help as well as raucous holiday parties, according to Asiag. Before COVID, the shul held monthly food drives.
Though many of the congregants range from ages 45-60, Asiag said, there are plenty of younger men attending minyans and text study groups as well.
Asiag, 25, has two Israeli parents and speaks fluent Hebrew. He has a wife and three young children, two of whom began attending shul with him.
Many members, like Asiag, have young families and work similar jobs. Going to shul, where there are 90 attendees for Shabbat services and 200-300 attendees for holidays, sometimes provides the only social encounters outside of family that young members have during the week.
If you have a synagogue thats all different kinds of people, you just dont intervene with everybody, Asiag said. But here, were all Israeli; were all the same. If youre all on the same page, everybody gets along together.
While close camaraderie among those with similar backgrounds is an asset of Beit Harambam for its congregants, its handful of Ashkenazi and Russian members prove that its a space that can be a spiritual home for anyone.
Everybodys welcome to pray with us. We dont judge people if theyre religious or not. Its an open synagogue for everybody, Avraham said. We just hope that we will grow more and moreThe more people we have, thats going to be a blessing for the synagogue.
[emailprotected]
See the rest here:
Beit Harambam United in Times of Adversity - Jewish Exponent
- Sephardic Jews - Wikipedia - February 2nd, 2023
- In Turkey, a festival revives a jewel of the Sephardic world and aims ... - January 10th, 2023
- In Turkey, a festival revives a jewel of the Sephardic world and aims to break stereotypes - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - January 10th, 2023
- Under coalition deal, chief Sephardic rabbi will head panel that ... - December 29th, 2022
- Beyond Sufganiyot and Latkes: 6 Delicious Recipes to Add Some Sephardic ... - December 29th, 2022
- Jewish religious movements - Wikipedia - December 23rd, 2022
- Palestinian Jews - Wikipedia - December 21st, 2022
- Sephardic Jewish cuisine - Wikipedia - October 25th, 2022
- Elul in Uzbekistan: Looking back at thousands of years to find inspiration for today - eJewish Philanthropy - October 8th, 2022
- Spice-packed chicken rolo is a perfect dinner in the sukkah J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 6th, 2022
- Beth Israel explores 'Roots of the Sephardic Jews in Texas' - Jewish Herald-Voice - September 23rd, 2022
- Why Rosh Hashanah Meals Are Different Anywhere You Go - Mashed - September 23rd, 2022
- What foods are in a Rosh Hashanah Seder? Take our quiz to find out - Forward - September 23rd, 2022
- Tel Aviv: The other face of the most expensive city in the world - EL PAS USA - September 23rd, 2022
- Farewell to the Shemittah! Torah.org - Torah.org - September 23rd, 2022
- A Fall Full of Cooking Shows on WTTW - WTTW - September 2nd, 2022
- World Premiere of Composer Michael Shapiro's VOICES to be Presented at Central Synagogue in November - Broadway World - September 2nd, 2022
- Zeal of the Convert - Randy Rosenthal - The American Scholar - September 2nd, 2022
- The Case A Year of Sabbatical - Community Magazine - September 2nd, 2022
- Delegates from More Than 50 Countries to Take Part in Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan - Astana Times - August 30th, 2022
- Recipes for okra, the unheralded star of summer - Los Angeles Times - August 30th, 2022
- The Jewish and Intellectual Origins of this Famously Non-Jewish Jew - Jewish Journal - August 27th, 2022
- Children's books by local Jewish authors educate and delight J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 20th, 2022
- Marvel's Jewish Voices: Where Are They? - Comic Watch - August 20th, 2022
- LETTERS: Sorry situation at Kotel; SFUSD wrong on Muslim holidays J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 20th, 2022
- What Hate Can Do: inside a devastating new exhibition on the Holocaust - The Guardian - July 16th, 2022
- Lily Safra, fabulously rich philanthropist whose life was peppered with drama and mystery obituary - The Telegraph - July 16th, 2022
- Which boy is the best boy for Kamala Khan? - Polygon - July 16th, 2022
- Blue Thread Performance Group Presents Series of Free Concerts Next Week - University of Arkansas Newswire - July 14th, 2022
- UK Conservative hopefuls strikingly diverse, firmly on right - ABC News - July 14th, 2022
- Married in the US; single in the EU - Rochester BeaconRochester Beacon - Rochester Beacon - July 14th, 2022
- Lily Safra, One Of The World's Richest Women, Dies at 87 - TheTealMango - July 10th, 2022
- Retracing the Old Havana Neighborhood of San Isidro - Havana Times - July 10th, 2022
- Greece Losing Battle of Thessaloniki to Anarchists, Hooligans - The National Herald - July 10th, 2022
- Moroccan Orange and Cured Olive Salad - Jewish Journal - July 4th, 2022
- The Shared Beliefs Of Muslims And Jews In Morocco Analysis - Eurasia Review - July 4th, 2022
- Poll: 66% of Haredi Voters Want Netanyahu to Step Down If He Fails to Forge a Government - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 4th, 2022
- Where is the Jewish 'Bridgerton'? In search of better Jewish period pieces - The Jewish News of Northern California - July 4th, 2022
- Daily Briefing Jun 22: Does Netanyahu have tricks up his sleeve to form a govt now? - The Times of Israel - June 26th, 2022
- Happy as this Jew in France - JNS.org - JNS.org - June 26th, 2022
- My Last Cup of Coffee with AB Yehoshua - Jewish Journal - June 17th, 2022
- Doron Almog, retired general and disabilities advocate, set to head Jewish Agency - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - June 17th, 2022
- The Ropa Vieja story: the National Dish of Cuba | Revolucin de Cuba - June 13th, 2022
- Jewish surname - Wikipedia - June 13th, 2022
- SF Jewish Pride Fund visits LGBTQ grantees in Israel - The Jewish News of Northern California - June 13th, 2022
- The Weird and Wonderful Foods of Star Wars Made Jewish - aish.com - Aish - June 13th, 2022
- Sephardic Matzah Spinach Pie Recipe | The Nosher - June 4th, 2022
- The Zionism Of Warren G. Harding - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 2nd, 2022
- What is the Lag BaOmer pilgrimage? - The Conversation - May 18th, 2022
- Spiteful Synagogue Syndrome stories | Elchanan Poupko | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - May 18th, 2022
- SF senior home recognized by Fast Company for virtual memory care J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - May 18th, 2022
- My Abortion Helped Make My Jewish Family Whole Kveller - Kveller.com - May 18th, 2022
- Executive director of embattled Jewish Federation stepping down after months of turmoil - Santa Fe New Mexican - May 18th, 2022
- OU PRESS announces the publication of Bridging Traditions: Demystifying Differences Between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews by Rabbi Haim Jachter and... - May 4th, 2022
- Why are Mizrahi and Sephardic communities being misrepresented as anti-Israel? - JNS.org - May 4th, 2022
- Ruben Navarrette commentary: Faced with Ukrainians seeking refuge, Israel fails the immigration test again - West Central Tribune - May 4th, 2022
- Great Neck rabbi and Rambam boost Tiberias - The Jewish Star - May 4th, 2022
- 'Ace of Taste' shows the savory side of chef Duff Goldman - Journal Inquirer - May 4th, 2022
- Synagogue Spotlight: Keter Torah Currently Has Members From About 20 Countries Among Their 100 or so Families - The Jewish News - April 29th, 2022
- Ladino's gives sneak peek of Mediterranean cuisine ahead of grand opening - mySA - April 29th, 2022
- Following Roman Abramovich scrutiny, Portugal tightens ... - March 20th, 2022
- Funeral for Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, zt'l: Roads to be Closed, Hundreds of Thousands Expected to Attend - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - March 20th, 2022
- Plane belonging to oligarch Abramovich reportedly lands in Israel - The Times of Israel - March 20th, 2022
- Ukraine crisis sharpens Israel's existential need for conversion reform - The Times of Israel - March 18th, 2022
- Lisbon Jewish Community - cilisboa.org - March 14th, 2022
- A Date with a Purim Destiny and The Rolled Up Sweetness of Fijuelas - Jewish Journal - March 14th, 2022
- Inspired by the river, settlers chose the name Atrisco - Jacksonville Journal-Courier - March 14th, 2022
- Lyric Fest Presents Concert of World Premieres, THE SONG CATCHER: THE FOLK SONG RE-IMAGINED - Broadway World - March 14th, 2022
- Lily Henley's upcoming album dialogues with centuries of Sephardic Jewish women - Grateful Web - March 8th, 2022
- Chatham Baroque Brings East of the River To Pittsburgh For A Program Of Medieval Sephardic Music and More - Broadway World - March 8th, 2022
- Obituary: Matilda Rosenberg, 69, social worker who strived to honor the memory of Holocaust survivors like her parents - Shawnee Mission Post - March 8th, 2022
- Poetry and Music | The UCSB Current - The UCSB Current - February 28th, 2022
- The Five Minute Read - Lowell Sun - February 28th, 2022
- Kissing Children In The Synagogue - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - February 28th, 2022
- 40% Of Americans Might Be Eligible For Dual Citizenship (And A Second Passport): Here's What You Need To Know - Forbes - February 28th, 2022
- TABC Sephardic Student Inquiry: Is It Acceptable for Me to Wear My Tzitzit Out? - The Jewish Link - February 11th, 2022
- Five Towns Chabad honors the Friedmans | Herald Community Newspapers - liherald - February 11th, 2022
- Top UK Jewish body tells visiting far-right MK Smotrich to get back on a plane - The Times of Israel - February 11th, 2022
- Drop the Goldberg name you co-opted, Whoopi -- you don't deserve it - New York Post - February 7th, 2022
- Review: In Prayer for the French Republic, Echoes of the Past - The New York Times - February 7th, 2022
Comments