Celebrating 50 Years in Our Chizuk Amuno Sanctuary
Rabbi Ron Shulman
Shabbat Hayei Sarah 5771
I am humbled to hold in my hands Rabbi Israel Goldman’s handwritten notes for the address he delivered at the groundbreaking ceremony for this sanctuary. On November 13, 1960, Rabbi Goldman said the following.
“Four times in 90 years the people of Chizuk Amuno have dug into the yielding soil of Maryland to lay foundations for new synagogues. From this inspiring fact, we make several, glorious deductions.”
Rabbi Goldman’s first observation on the significance of that moment was this. “American soil is hospitable to the rearing of sanctuaries of religious differences. The recent election of President John F. Kennedy reflects a new found tolerance for religious diversity in America.”
He then made particular connection to what the members of Chizuk Amuno were doing. “American soil is hospitable to the rearing of Jewish sanctuaries, built of glass, because America is our home. We no longer hide in fortified lodgings.”
This was Rabbi Goldman’s vision, to build a sanctuary that demonstrated to suburban America at the beginning of the 1960’s that we Jews felt at home, able to pray and gather beside our neighbors of other faiths in a facility befitting the American mold and style of worship.
In Rabbi Goldman’s words, “In its outdoor form [this Sanctuary] will be the product of the 20th century. In its indoor character it still will be the ancient synagogue.”
At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, we mark the achievement of our predecessors, of some of you, of your relatives and friends, whose efforts on behalf of Chizuk Amuno reflected their values and the tenor of their times.
The American suburban synagogue of the 20th century assumed the religious faith and hierarchy of Europe: large and imposing, decorous and well mannered. As we celebrate, we must also think about this era, this moment 50 years later during which we live and celebrate our lives in this sacred space.
If the election of President Kennedy in 1960 suggested a more religiously tolerant America, than the election of President Obama in 2008 suggests a more diverse America, as well.
In the vast variety of cultures and backgrounds that comprise Americans today, we require closer, more intimate relationships. Familiarity breeds respect, not contempt. True religious diversity remains an emotional and sometimes polarizing issue in our land. As American Jews we know all too well what it is to be regulated out of communities and denied our religious rights. That’s why the establishment of this sanctuary was so important. That is also why our voices demand no less for other faith communities than what we have come to expect for ourselves.
We also understand that the ancient synagogue was, in fact, a more intimate and less formal space. It enabled people to sit around those who led the prayer. It brought Torah and community close. I think it more accurately approximates the spiritual values of the 21st century than you may realize.
Our lives in Baltimore, our lives in America, our lives in this world, require those closer bonds of fellowship and community. Too often every day, we function anonymously and impersonally, seeking from others only what may serve our needs. Entering here must bring us into a different experience, into the religious center of a familiar and sacred community.
For the past 50 years in this sacred space of Chizuk Amuno Congregation, we have welcomed our children into life and the covenant of our people. We have celebrated our love and the progress of our lives. We have observed 2,600 Shabbat and 650 holiday services. We have honored our friends, welcomed distinguished guests, studied Torah and considered the meaning and purpose of our lives in the presence of God. All of this is our privilege. All of this is our joy. All of this is our inheritance. All of this is our legacy.
Rabbi Goldman concluded his groundbreaking remarks with this prayer. “Yehi ratzon mil-fa-nekha, May it be Your will, God, that the joy of participating in this glad event may prompt us ever to proclaim: ‘Adonai ahavti m’on bei-tekha, u-m’kom mishkan k’vodekha - I love Your house, God, the place of Your glorious presence.’”
© 2010 Rabbi Ronald J. Shulman
