Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 8 April 1949 — Page 28

THE NATIONAL JEWISH POST

Friday, April 6, 1949

Attendance At Regular Services Is Like High Holy Days Elsewhere Six Synagogues oi Miami Beach Packed For Every Friday Night MIAMI—The bittersweet dream of every U.S. rabbi—overflow attendance for every Friday night service, rain or shine—has come to pass in the last place in the U.S. where it might be expected— the Jewish playground of Miami Beach. One of the lushest resort areas in the world, Miami Beach fills its six temples and synagogues every Friday night an exclusive survey by The Post revealed.

A personal survey one recent

Posl

Exclusive

Friday evening found four synagogues filled, with standing room only for those who didn’t get there early enough. A fifth synagogue and a Jewish academy also were filled to capacity. The

survey night involved no special events; no Jewish State had emerged; no special children's program was

on for proud parents; no special attractions were staged. It was a normal Sabbath night—and the houses of worship were jam-

med.

This picture must be measured against the background of the fact that the population of Miami Beach to a large extent is a transient one.

For Five Years of Leadership

Hie spiritual leader of the largest synagogue In Miami Beach receives congratulations and a check from Jack A. Ablin as Joseph M. Bose, president of the congregation looks on. The occasion was the fifth anniversary of Rabbi Irving T^ehr-

man’s spiritual leadership of munity Center.

the Miami Beach Jewish Corn-

seats. This congregation, under the spiritual leadership of Babbi Irving Lehrman, has been In Its new building only last fall, but the 1,900 seats are filled every Friday night, and

there Is au overflow.

Attendance Analysis Shows A Marvel A breakdown of attendance by synagogues highlights a remarkable development, perhaps not duplicated anywhere else in the

U. S.

JThe oldest synagogue on the Beach is Beth Jacob, an Orthodox congregation led by Rabbi Moses Meccheloff. He told The Post that when he assumed the pulpit 12 years ago, “we were the only synagogue on the Beach. Despite the fact that five more synagogues have been built since, we still have been able to

double our membership."

He said he has an overflow at- could fill all the seats,' tendance of 1,000 every Friday Lehrman said. "We are

Conservatives Have Most Temple Seats MIAMI — There are nearly 5.000 synagogue seats for the 16.000 Jews of Miami with 1,900 seats for Conservative adherents as the largest number. Orthodoxy, with some 1,800 seats is second and Reform with 1,100 seats, is third.

• • •

ices are held every Friday with a member of the congregation conducting services. There is no formal collection of membership dues; contributions are made by those attending. On an average Saturday, attendance reaches 100 or more. Those attending are in the immediate neighborhood and are strictly Orthodox. Services are held in the auditorium of the school and the attendance is regarded as excellent in view of the absence of a rabbi and the strict Orthodoxy.

• • •

Tourist Attendance A Unique Problem Because the Beach population

is a transient one, the Beach rabbis have a special problem. A large proportion of those who pack the synagogues are tourists, who naturally do not wish to formally affiliate themselves, particularly when many of them hold

the services disturbed him. (NJP, Jan., Feb., 1949), J *

Growing Fast

The six months-old congrega- synagogue membership In their tion has about 100 members and home cities. Such worshippers at a typical recent service, atten- use facilities they do not help to

dance was about 500, and each support by membership.

On Saturday mornings, the Friday night has seen an increase. Some attempts have been made synagogue also fills to capacity. The Temple, now meeting in the ^ with the situation and in Rabbi Lehrman assumed his post auditorium of a real estate build- various ways the tourist worship-

six years ago when the member- * * ’ J ’

night during the winter months for his 900-seat house and that attendance during the summer months remains close to inat fig-

ure.

The hugest synagogue Is the Conservative M i a ml Beach Comomnity Center with MM LOUISVILLE

ing provided by non-Jews after pe^g help to support the institu-

was 360. It now stands at the eviction, has had overflow (ions they use but their regular

crowds during the past month attendance remains a unique for the 400 available seats. twist on the headache of more Rabbi David Raab told The stable Jewish congregational Post that by this summer, the areas where non-member worTemple hopes to have a site for shippers are a chronic—though

a permanent home. A building smaller—problem, has been started early in March How R

and the basket is passed each For Instance, visitors at Beth Friday night to help meet expen- Jacob make contributions by attending affairs sponsored by the This is only a temporary mea- sisterhood. No appeals are made sure, of course, until file Temple but attendance by tourists is con-

growth was reported by Reform is more permanently established," sist ently high and In this fashion

Temple Beth Sholom, Usd by Rab- Rabbi Raab said.

M Leon Kronish. The Temple

ship 650.

Worried Already

"When we first built the new Center, which still is unfinished, we were a little doubtful that we

Rabbi

in here

only a few months and now we are worried about finding room for handling the overflow. - A similar record of amazing

started with 20 members six years ago and now has a membership nearing the 500 mark. Betti Sholom Is filled every Friday of the winter atasacm. Though the Temple has seats for only 7M, regular attendance usually Is around the 1AM marie.

Second Orthodox Rabbi Joseph Rackovsky of Beth Tfila is leader of the second Orthodox congregation oa the Beach. Its membership, according to the rabbi, is mostly of tour-

ists.

"We sell seats during the High Holy Days and the sale to our 900

Despite the fact that the new members takes care of our bud-

Reform Temple Isaiah not only get," he said.

they have contributed to the upkeep and of its religious grhooL keep of the synagogue and of its

religious school.

Rabbi Lehrman said that vistlfaig worshippers eon tribute seven and ane-half per eewt to the Miami Beach Community Center. Appeals are made from time to ttme during the

CHICAGO

'The Mortuary With a SouF 9

la ftha bnautiful PisaT Manorial Chapels the ritual of year choice, whether it bn orthodox, conservative or reform, is conducted with

has no permanent home but has been forced from its first temporary home by Dan Amsteln, a wealthy New Yorker, sendees have been well attended. The Temple was compelled to move from a temporary site when Amsteln filed a suit charging

NEW YORK

derstanding.

mrtros a. tatwu CBAS. «. *AT» SOI. niBB

PULE.R

MM BrMSwsv (.OR rbeat* «1M US Stone; latnaa Am DOXebeetet «SM •its xoomvom aa. 1.AW at ate MM CBICAOO. OX.

To A To Out r

Beth Tfila has a capacity crowd every Friday evening and on Saturday mornings. The synagogue is well filled ’also during the summer months, when the rest of U, & congregational life Is on a vacation. Dr. David Andron, founder of the Hebrew Academy, said servINDIANAPOUS

Aaron & Buben Modem Jewith Funeral Borne IMS R. UorMlao UL MM InSla—oMh

"We are building our program around the permanent members," he said. "Our synagogue is open to tourists but we are not de-

pendent on them."

Rabbi Kronish is particularly aware of the visiting worshipper problem at Beth Sholom, remarking “we have 50 per cent tourist attendance. Visitors contribute

but do not join." What Can Be Done?

"Many tourists stay in Miami Beach for the season (six months), attend services regularly but still do not become members,” he said. “It is a problem, but there isn’t much we can do about it, except to make appeals for them to join. Temple affairs are well attended and supported

CHICAGO

iAUmdial

AmimUm At*. Worn Tm* CRr LORO (SLABS ■I A HI BBACU

FIIRTH and COMPANY BltakMtshM MM MS MAST MTU TELKPHORUi KKUWOOD MM CHICAGO. ILL. THE PIONEER JEWISH CHAPEL • Our Service and Facilities Extend Throughout the Country lux j. Tvmrm. H*»*ai*c sfawtw

Erie Temple Tries Attendance Pledge ERIE, Pa—(NJP)—Rabbi Ran dall M. Falk disclosed this week that his Congregation Anshe Hesed tried the experiment last fall of signed pledges of at-

tendance.

Rabbi Falk made his disclosure in connection with a report that Rabbi Maurice Goldblatt of the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation planned to circulate such pledge cards this spring to his synagogue. (NJP March 25). “We have a congregation of about 280 families, and slightly over a third of them signed the pledge and returned it to the office," Rabbi Falk said. “Practically all who signed last fall have been rather faithful in attempting to live up to it" The Anshe Hesed pledge calls for a promise to attend service at least twice a month; agreement to get children to religion school “regularly and on time”; and agreement not to hold social functions of any kind on Friday evenings “until after the time that Sabbath services have been con-

cluded.”

by both members and visitors."

* * •

Not a Freak 9 Say the Rabbis All of the rabbis believe that the present situation Is not a freak and that as the comparatively new Miami Beach community of some 16,000 Jews grows, more families wUj join the synagogues. Nor do the rabbis trim sails out of possible deference to conservative attitudes of Jews with money. The Miami Beach rabbis are thunderous denouncers of iniquity wherever they see It During the trial of Charles? Winters, the first of the defendants in the Mlaml-Israel arms smuggling case, the rabbis Utterly assailed both the arrest and sentencing of the young Christian defendant. They spoke from their palpi ta and they spoke to the press. When the High Holy Days come, Miami Beach rabbis really have a problem. Normal Friday evening attendance at Miami Beach is of the density of High Holy Day attendance elsewhere in file U. S. High Holy Day services In Miami Beach simply swamp the available facilities and the rabbis do the best they can on a first-come, first-seated basts. Hie record crowds would be amazing for any VJ3. Jewish community. They are doubly so in Miami Beach where the counter-attractions are Impressive. They Include some of the ritxiest dubs In the world. Big name acts like Harry Richmau, Sophie Tucker and Danny Kaye are no novelty but the SBO sign Is on the synagogues, not on the nightclubs. In part, the rabbis trace the extraordinary attendance to the ery factor which logically would seem to be a barrier to attendance: the vacation spirit Here's One Story A tourist visitor from Vermont summed it up in this fashion: “I have never enjoyed services as much as I do here. I’m on vacation here. There’s no rush to get the dishes done and the children put to bed. I walk over to the synagogue relaxed. I join in the singing. I enjoy It better than any show or night club. - detroit

In Ranhnaa~~— Funeral Director M16 Dexter Btvd. at ttdtoau TYlsr T-4SM Detroit Mdh.

rsi