Feature
Gulf Coast Congregation Celebrates the New Year in New Home
By Lori Beth Susman
Every Friday evening, Brad Kessie arrives at Congregation Beth Israel in Gulfport, Miss., before Shabbat services. He strolls the hallways, surveys the classrooms and then settles into a seat in the sanctuary, taking in the handcrafted Aron Kodesh that has become the centerpiece of the new Gulf Coast synagogue.
While Kessie, president of Beth Israel’s board of trustees, takes this time to appreciate the new synagogue, he also remembers the past — the hurricane that destroyed the old shul, the congregants who worked so hard throughout the rebuilding process and the communities and organizations across the country that gave so freely to help the Gulf Coast’s Jewish community find a home once again.
Beth Israel, an affiliate of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, was made unusable when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005. The red brick building in Biloxi, which had been home to the congregation since 1958, received wind and storm surge damage. Fortunately, the Torahs had been removed from the building before the hurricane struck, but sadly other items were not spared — including the second-floor apartment where the synagogue’s caretaker, a member of the small congregation, lived.
It took nearly four years for the group to rebuild. During that time, the congregation held Shabbat services at Beauvoir United Methodist Church, where pastor Rev. Marilyn Perrine invited the congregation to share space at the church shortly after the hurricane. This act of kindness was an example of how faith-based groups helped each other following Katrina.
“We were wandering through our own desert,” Kessie said. “We prayed as a community, but only because the greater community opened its doors to us. Without the strength of others lending a helping hand, we would have been lost.”
By the end of 2005, the synagogue’s board had formed a building committee, and members had their work cut out for them. The question of whether to rebuild where the synagogue had originally stood or to move to a new location was studied in depth before voting to find a new location.
“We had a few choices and were studying the sites and the costs when one of our longtime congregants stepped forward with an incredible offer,” Kessie said. “Martin Goldin, with support of the entire Goldin family, donated a piece of land that we felt would be ideal for our new synagogue. It was an amazing donation that we will always appreciate.”
The committee first worked with an architect, who ultimately could not design the structure that was needed. That’s when congregant and board member Jay Rubenstein stepped up and collaborated with Goldin to modify house plans into what would ultimately become the new Congregation Beth Israel.
Goldin said, “Jay and I hired a new architect to design the details of this building. When we received his final work product, it was seven pages instead of 70. Jay and I looked at each other knowing that if we went forward with this minimalist set of plans, it would necessitate a lot of our own time supervising and making decisions as we go.”
Putting aside their personal priorities, Goldin and
Rubenstein accepted the challenge. That was in May 2007. By October of that
year, a groundbreaking was held, and congregants and guests joined together at
the site to give thanks, as well as shovel dirt in a symbolic measure that
meant so much to everyone. For some, like former member Rose Datlof, an
octogenarian who moved away after the hurricane but returned for the
groundbreaking, and Mark Tebor, the former caretaker who passed away the
following month, it would be the only time they would join their Beth Israel
family at the new synagogue.
“We had every person — members and visitors alike — at the groundbreaking sign one of the cinder blocks that formed the base of our new building,” Kessie remembered. “That gave everyone a real sense that our new house of worship belonged to the entire community.”
In the months that followed, the 5,000-square-foot building began to take shape. The Aron Kodesh, the Holy Ark where the Torahs are kept, was designed by local craftsman Shane Sekul. It fills the sanctuary, which is decorated in golden hues, with warmth. The synagogue has two classrooms, rabbi quarters, an office, kitchen and social area. There are two courtyards, one ready for the first Sukkah to be constructed; the other, perfect for Havdallah services and Sunday school picnics.
During the weekend of May 28, the congregation moved into its new home. Three days of events coincided with the festival of Shavuot. Perhaps most memorable was the Torah parade, in which congregants, friends and family paraded around the new building carrying the two Torahs, singing and dancing. Once inside, the Torahs were passed from person to person until they reached the front of the sanctuary, ready to be placed inside the ark.
Kessie, along with longtime member Milton Grishman, had the honor of returning the Torahs to their new home. For both men it was a special moment. Grishman’s father, Moody, helped found the congregation more than 50 years ago and was instrumental in obtaining the former building. He passed away in 2007, never knowing what the new shul would look like.
As Kessie sits in the sanctuary on Friday nights, he reflects on men like Moody Grishman, Mark Tebor and Howard Levy, an instrumental member of the building committee who died suddenly on Rosh Hashanah 2008. He hopes they would like the new synagogue, and is reassured that they would by the compliments he continues to receive each week on the building. The synagogue is more than just a place to worship — it is a house of worship. The Gulf Coast’s Jewish community is now home.
For more information about Congregation Beth Israel, contact Brad Kessie at 228-547-5224. Or, e-mail the congregation at bethisrael1818@yahoo.com.
