Temple Israel has moved from Akron to its new home in Bath Township.
On Sunday, Temple members took a historic trek, by foot and by bus, carrying the temple’s nine Torah scrolls.
The ritual of carrying the Torah — the five books of Moses that are the fundamental teachings of Judaism — happens perhaps only once in a generation of worshippers, when a sanctuary closes or relocates.
It is modeled after the journey that the Jewish faithful made to the Promised Land with the Ark of the Covenant.
The local synagogue’s Torah Walk began at the Akron site, 133 Merriman Road, where about 70 people gathered to help carry the nine Torah scrolls to the parking lot of the Highland Square Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.
From there, the nine scrolls, including a Holocaust Torah, were transported by bus to the Earth Fare parking lot in the Shops of Fairlawn Shopping Center, where about 225 people met for the final walk to the new building at 91 Springside Drive, where about 100 people waited.
“This is living history to be part of building a new temple and walking the Torahs to it. I’m honored and humbled to be president of this congregation,” said Ron Winer.“Our hope is that the new location will enable us to grow and be around for another 150 years because we want to preserve Reform Judaism in the Akron area.”
The congregation, which spent nearly 104 years in its building on Merriman, dialogued for several years about how to remain vibrant and relevant. The discussions included an exploration of moving to a new location.
In 2010, a group of Temple Israel members (with the unanimous support of the synagogue’s board) put together private funds and purchased a building at 91 Springside Drive in the Montrose area. The group anticipated a move westward primarily because demographics show a trend of members moving in that direction.
Last year, the temple’s board of trustees approved moving forward with the construction of a new spiritual home at the site. A “Raise the Roof” celebration to kickoff renovations at the former Masonic Temple took place last November. Construction, which began in January, included gutting of the interior, knocking down of two walls and replacing of the roof.
Transformation
Although the congregation had hoped to be in its new home before the start of the High Holidays, construction delays pushed the spiritual dedication of the building beyond Rosh Hashanah, the two-day celebration of the Jewish New Year (which began at sunset Sept. 24).
But Sunday’s move puts the congregation in its new home before Yom Kippur, which begins at sunset on Friday. Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is dedicated to fasting and thinking about how to become a better person in the coming year.
“We will be transformed in a profound way. We anticipate that being in our new home will make us even stronger,” Rabbi Robert Feinberg said. “We realize that Temple is much more than a physical structure — it’s the people.”
Feinberg and Winer said that in addition to being closer to where congregants live, the new location has better highway access. Everything in the new building will be located on one floor, while the aging congregation had to navigate four floors at the Akron site, which is for sale.
Celebrating 150 years
Temple Israel traces its roots to 1865 when 20 men organized the Akron Hebrew Association to meet the worship, education and social needs of the Jewish families that began arriving in the Akron area in 1854. The congregation will celebrate its 150th anniversary in April.
The dedication ceremony at the new location included the blessing and installation of the Torahs in the Holy Ark; the blessing of the mezuzah affixed on the front doorpost; and the blowing of the shofar by Feinberg and about 40 of Temple Israel’s religious school students.
The 32,000-square-foot building on Springside is marked by a 16-foot mezuzah — designed by Don Drumm, a nationally known Akron artist — that is mounted on the front of the building. Stained glass windows from the Akron site have been incorporated at the temple’s new site and a moveable wall between the sanctuary and social hall which allows flexibility to expand seating from 250 to 600.
For more information about Temple Israel, go to www.templeisraelakron.com or call 330-762-8617.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at www.twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.