Newspaper Page Text
TUB BOUTHIBN IIBAILIfI
Miliy, March 24, 1961
Congregation Beth Jacob
Officially
By ADOLPH ROSENBERG
About two hundred members
and friends of Congregation Beth
Jacob gathered Sunday to “of
ficially break ground” for a new
Synagogue.
Weather conditions prevented
the ceremony from taking place
at the symbolic moment when
work began on the property on
LaVista Drive last fall.
So members bided their time
for an appropriate moment while
workmen proceeded with the task
of leveling the property, laying
the steel and concrete foundation
for the structure.
There were other impediments
as well.
Residents in the area at first
petitioned to obstruct the very
construction itself and before
the building permit was granted
there were bitter words passed.
The Congregation persisted in
the right of Americans to erect a
House of Worship where it was
necessary and the objections to
the permit were in time swept
away.
A non-Jewish neighbor came
over for the ground-breaking
Sunday aad offered his help in
any way, at any time.
Two of the staunchest non-
Jewish leaders in the anti-permit
move have also withdrawn their
resistence. Moreover they
preferred friendship and coopera
tion and recently invited Rabbi
Emanuel Feldman to speak be
fore a civic group in DeKalb
County whose members had nev
er seen a modem rabbinical lead
er. He discussed Judaism for an
intrigued audience.
With the weather promising
rain for the weekend of the
ground-breaking, officials decid
ed if necessary to hold the cere
mony in the small Women’s Club
where they worshipped for the
last yeaj. Here the small space
was so crowded and taxed that
chairs were set durng the High
Holy Days in the kitchen, in the
hallway and even on the adja
cent outdoor cemented terrace.
But the clouds Sunday, as
though cooperating and refusing
to inject another obstacle to Beth
Jacob members, held back the
rain and the sun even broke
through for the rites.
To witness Sunday’s ceremon
ies, members and their families
sat in the open on temporary
chairs lined along a driveway and
on the rear steps of the former
private residence which has been
serving of late as Congregation
headquarters.
Jack Berchenko,- building com
mittee chairman, said “Our new
Synagogue has passed beyond the
talking stage and is now in the
seeing stage.”
Members could indeed view the
partly-finished edifice where this
fall or sooner they will worship
without the temporization which
has so often to date characterized
their efforts.
Vice President Maurice Krieger
served as master of ceremonies
introducing these past presidents
—Ben Golden, David Katz, Ben
Tessler, Cy Polan, Louis Taffel,
Jack Berchenko, Sol Abrams, as
well as the current president,
Morris Simberg
Mr. Krieger introduced Larry
Nager, president of the Beth
Jacob Men’s Club, Miss Jeanette
Stein, president of the Teen
group, and Malon Green, pres-
(Coo tinned on page 5)
Breaks Ground for Synagogue
In the top photograph Master of Ceremonies Maurice Krieger is seen welcoming the crowd,
a part of which is seen in smaller photograph on the platform (1. to r.) are: Jack Berchenko, Chair
man, Building Committee; DeKalb County Commission Chairman Charles O. Emmerich, lAain-speaker;
James Barker, architect; Morris Simberg, Congregation president; Dr. Irving Greenberg, president, At
lanta Jewish Community Council, and Rabbi Emanuel Feldman. Seated in front of the platform
(1. to r.) are Cantor Phillip Rosenblatt, Malon Green, president of the Junior Congregation; Lorry
Nager, president, Beth Jacob Men’ll Club. Looking at the drawing of the proposed Synagogue, Mr*.
Sol Abrams, Sisterhood president; Mias Jeanette Stein, Teen Group president, and Richard Naiman.
contractor. A part of the audience is seen In the smaller picture.