43
Rodef Sholom to mark 150 years Friday, Saturday
By Bruce Walton
YOUNGSTOWN
Congregation Rodef Sholom will celebrate its 150th anniversary Friday evening, highlighting the longevity of its presence and influence in the local Jewish community.
The event begins at 6 p.m. in Handler Hall followed by guest speaker Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, with special guest soloist Neshama Carlebach. Rabbi Jacobs’ sermon is titled “The Future of Reform Judaism: A Vision of Hope.”
“It’s a moment of excitement, not just as a wonderful milestone, but also to use this 150th anniversary as a springboard to reflect on our past, our present and our future,” Rabbi Jacobs said.
Rodef Sholom is a Reform Jewish temple on Elm Street on the city’s North Side. It is led by Rabbi Franklin Muller, who has served 22 years as the congregation’s spiritual leader. He said his time as rabbi has been “challenging but extremely rewarding, never having an idle moment from day one.”
According to the synagogue’s website, the congregation was first founded May 12, 1867, when a group of 15 men met and created a set of guidelines and bylaws, dividing themselves into three groups. A week later, they regrouped and adopted a name for the new congregation: Rodef Sholom, meaning “Pursuers of Peace.”
The congregation’s first members, most of whom were German immigrants, merchants and shopkeepers, met and worshipped above a factory on Federal Street in downtown Youngstown.
The anniversary celebration continues at 10 a.m. Saturday with a family Shabbat concert with musician Rossio in the Tamarkin Chapel and a dinner at 5:45 p.m. in Strouss Hall. The event ends with a concert featuring Carlebach and Josh Nelson at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.
The congregation has spent a large amount of time and effort preparing for the event, including a plaque commemorating the anniversary and a museum exhibit on the temple’s history in the library.
Marilyn and Steven Sniderman, local congregants, also created a book cataloging the congregation’s history that will be unveiled along with the plaque Saturday after the dinner.
Rabbi Muller said the congregation expects several hundred people to fill the sanctuary. There is no cost for the community event, but an RSVP is required. Call the synagogue at 330-744-5001, or send an email to rodefsholom@sbcglobal.net.