In August, I received a phone call from Tucson friends who were visiting my hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, on their way to Cape Cod. They had just discovered an old synagogue on South Sixth Street not far from the harbor. It was a red brick building, they said, with a Star of David on the front. It was now a church. Did I know the building?
Not only did I know the building, but it was my childhood synagogue, Tifereth Israel. My father and grandfather were among its founders. I have the original photograph pictured in this article capturing its dedication on Sept. 14, 1924. My father was all of 27 years old. He is standing second from the left.
Which brings me to today. The phone call unleashed a torrent of memories. The bimah of this synagogue was where I stood for my Bat Mitzvah, gave a speech on college night, and where I was confirmed. The synagogue building is where I started Hebrew school, enjoyed the glorious sukkah that I described in “A Sukkah Saga” last fall in the Arizona Jewish Post, and attended Shabbat services.
But the memories that seem most notable, perhaps because of the time of year, are of the High Holidays, when most of the Jewish community, by then living west of the city center, walked a mile to the synagogue. As we made our way down Hawthorne Street, with its beautiful canopy of elm trees, we acknowledged other walkers also on their way to the synagogue where we would celebrate the holidays together.
We were all members of a closely knit immigrant community of Jews in a city of 120,000. Some say there were 2,000 Jews in New Bedford at that time, but it is hard to imagine that we were that many.
I can remember sitting next to my father on Rosh Hashanah. He is wrapped in his tallis. On his other side sits Uncle Nathan, my grandmother’s brother, a warm and comforting presence. I can remember the feeling I had of belonging to a community with family members, neighbors, friends. And at the end of services, we all gathered in front of the synagogue on South Sixth Street to wish each other Shanah Tovah (Happy New Year).
What a rich and comforting Jewish childhood I enjoyed. I am not sure I understood or appreciated it at the time, but I do now. And I am thankful for the memories. These experiences enriched my life with a sense of belonging to a larger community, and because of them, I was able to reach out and find comfort and joy in a local synagogue, although I am fairly new to Tucson.
It is important to say that the Jewish community is here for anyone who wants to be part of it. Not just the synagogues, but the “J” (Jewish Community Center) and all Jewish communal service organizations. But if someone feels lonely or isolated — feelings often associated with older adults, and also common in other age groups — and is eager to find friendship and a sense of community, I believe the synagogue is the place to start.
I spoke on the phone recently to a long-time friend who lives in New York’s Greenwich Village. In spite of her surroundings, she is feeling isolated and disconnected. I recommended that she try out some local synagogues and go to services. I even used the internet to look up what synagogues were in her neighborhood. There were many: Orthodox, Conservative, Chabad, unaffiliated, Reform. I suggested that she start going to Shabbat services and described my own journey and experience of finding community and friendship in Tucson. She hadn’t thought about it, although she had been very active in Jewish life in her younger years. She said she would do so.
Perhaps some readers, like me, have cherished memories of religious celebrations and have found friendship and community in a Tucson synagogue. But if there is anyone who is unaffiliated, feeling isolated or alone, in need of community and friendship, again, I suggest that you reach out and attend services at a local synagogue. You can visit more than one until you find one that works for you.
We have ample choices here. You may not know anyone on day one, but if you are open to meeting others who care about being Jewish, you will find your place and will no longer feel alone.
And if you need transportation, there are several options. Try calling Jewish Family & Children’s Services at (520) 795-0300 for services funded by Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona, the Pima Council on Aging at (520) 790-7262, or Sun Van at (520) 798-1000, to name a few.
All you need is openness and a Jewish heart.
Happy New Year!
Judith Manelis is a writer, editor, and journalist whose work has appeared in American Jewish newspapers and magazines. Her book “This Shall Tell All Ages: Art, Music and Writings of the Holocaust” was published by United Jewish Appeal.
