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We are intensely proud of Ahavath Achim’s achievements in these eighty years and extend congratulations and best wishes for the years ahead FOODTOWN • RED DOT • A. G. STORES • -THRIFT WAY Your friendly A.G. STORES are owned and operated by your friends and neighbors throughout Atlanta; so shop regularly at your nearest A.G. STORE RICH'S congratulates the Al IA VAT 11 AC I IIM SYNAQOQUH catur Street, the members dreamed a larger dream . . . they purchased a lot and spent tedious hours planning an ade quate structure. In 1900, as the century turned, a brick syna gogue was built at Piedmont Avenue and Gilmer Street at an estimated cost of $12,000. Here at this important junc tion stood the first “real” syna gogue Ahavath Achim had. The congregation was on its way upward as the new home of A. A. was completed. Presi dent Leon Eplan had played an important role in the construc tion. In this new edifice there was ample room to expand and the membership lost no time in instituting a full functioning congregation. Enthusiasm was unbelievable as study groups, Hebrew classes and social functions expanded. With pres- “THE BIG SHULE” Ahavath Achim’s Washington Avenue Synagogue idents such as Leon Eplan, Philip Elson, J. Goldin, D. Zaban, S. Boorstein, Joel Dor- fan and Morris Lichtenstein, there was no doubt that this \vas becoming one of the strongest congregations in the South. Ahavath Achim remained un deniably the nucleus of Jewish culture in the community. Guiding the forces of life and growth of the shule, the dis tinguished rabbis who served as spiritual leaders of the young Congregation were greatly responsible for the quality of the services. Follow ing Rabbi Meyerowitz, Rabbi J. Levin and Rabbi H. Yood al so contributed greatly to this early development. Families grew. The Jewish community increased in size. And so did A. A.! Once again, the call of progress was an swered. In 1920, Ahavath Achim erected a larger synago gue on a lot cornering Wash ington Street and Woodward Avenue. Built at a cost of $85,000, the Synagogue lifted its tall, white columns and shiny dome high above that wonderfully active section of Atlanta Jewry. The growth of A. A. from a three-dollar-a-month room to this marvelous structure on Washington Street was noth ing short of miraculous. Presi dent Joel Dorfan, serving since 1905, and Morris Lichtenstein, the “uncrowned President,” together with many interested leaders guided the spiritual ship through many stormy moments. At the suggestion of Isidor Jacobs, a group of boys of high school age met in 1920 to form the Bible School. Feeling the necessity of furthering their Jewish education after Bar Mitzva and Sunday School training, they began this es sential phase of learning at Ahavath Achim. The Aurora Club, a boys’ social club, was invited to join as a body and form its own class in the newly organized Bible School. Celebrating 80 Years of Progress, and invites you to join with us in our year-long Centennial Celebration of One Hundred I lappy Years. RICH'Ef Rabbi B. Meyerowitz, who had come from Toledo, Ohio, and Reverend Lubell, the can tor, from New York, made every effort to see that the newly formed Sunday School and Hebrew School operated at a high level of education. Few religious organizations, Jewish or Christian, could boast of the tremendous devo tion of its membership through the years following the close of the first World War. A story, which may be apocryphal, but nonetheless shows the import ance of the synagogue in the earlier days, has often been told. When applying for citi zenship papers, one of the new comers to Atlanta was asked, “Who is the president?” His immediate reply was, “Mr. Joel Dorfan!” Although new synagogues were springing up in Atlanta, According to the record, the first meeting was attended by Harry Cohen, Eddie Berger, Sanford Saperstein, Jake Rob inson, Charles Bergman and Abe Nissenbaum. Rabbi A. P. Hermes, who had come to the synagogue just before the new building was completed, remained as the spiritual head through July, 1928. He and his wife were instrumental in' the for mation of a very important facet of life at Ahavath Achim. On the afternoon of June 6, 1920, at the home of Mrs. Jake Jacobs, ten ladies met at the call of Rabbi Hermes to discuss and formulate plans for the oyjanization of a Ladies Auxil iary. A larger body of women gathered ten days" later and elected Mrs. Isidor Jacobs,., president; Mrs. Jake Jacobs, treasurer; and Mrs. M. Zion, secretary. The Ahavath Achim Sister- The Southern Israelite 14