Rabbi Shpeen: 100 Years Ago This Week

This article first appeared in our May/Jun '25 edition of The Bulletin

The week of May 18-24, 1925 marked the opening celebration of the new Jewish Community Center on Washington Avenue.

Since first coming to serve Congregation Beth Emeth forty years ago (June 1985), I have heard countless stories from our congregants about their association with the JCC how the JCC on Washington Avenue played an integral role in their teenage and young adult years. In fact, MANY have shared with me that it was at the “old” JCC on Washington Avenue that they met their life partner. It is interesting to note the six points advertised as to the mission of the new JCC and the role it hoped to play in the community.

Confirmation has always been a cornerstone ceremony each year at Congregation Beth Emeth introduced by our first Rabbi, Isaac Mayer Wise, and one of the oldest (if not the oldest) congregation in the United States that has continually held Confirmation Services since its inception. (I believe the first Confirmation service took place in 1848 under Rabbi Wise’s leadership as Rabbi of Temple Beth El… the precursor to Beth Emeth). What is interesting to note in the 1925 CONFIRMATION ORDER OF SERVICE are the names of individuals from a number of families that still have strong ties/connection to Beth Emeth… William B. Stern/Howard J. Wander/Charles Berinstein/Edith Marx (Hellman) are four that stand out for sure. Another Beth Emeth L’dor Va Dor connection!

It is also interesting to note that the OPENING HYMN (#201 in the Union Hymnal), “FATHER SEE THY SUPPLIANT CHILDREN” which was a Beth Emeth “classic” and associated with Confirmation, was a fond reminiscence over the years of many of our longstanding members reflecting upon their own Confirmation Service experience.