Welcome Beth Shalom

Sometime early this morning or late last night, our friends at Jefferson Baptist Church put up signs on their many doors to point our chevre toward the room we are using for Saturday morning services. I followed the trail and when I reached the correct door there was a sign that read: Welcome Beth Shalom.

This is how JBC is making us feel---welcome---more than welcome, in fact.

Last night we had our first service in the Church’s main auditorium. It is a beautiful space and will work perfectly for the High Holidays. Rev. French and Mike B., stayed through services last night to make sure everything went well. Afterwards our Steve W. and their Mike B., who really are mirror images of each other, huddled in the auditorium to make further plans. Mike is a whiz with JBC’s incredible sound system and offered to consult with Steve when we get replacing ours. The equipment was directly under one of the many waterfalls that poured into the building last Saturday.

It is incredible to me that it was just a week ago that we discovered the damage to the synagogue. I feel like I have lived a month in that time. On the other hand, I am stunned with how quickly we got ourselves organized. Two task forces are at work on the design and financial aspects of the reconstruction. The logistics of doing services outside our building were planned at lightening speed.

I have had several conversations with Larry Hoffman of the Hebrew Union College. Larry is hoping to be able to come down to Baton Rouge and do a program for us on the design of sacred space. He also has spoken to the top consultant in this area of architecture, Richard Vosko, who wants to participate in the project, time permitting. Larry, through Synagogue 2000 is sending Steve C. and I to a sacred space design conference in November, at their expense. Larry said that he feels a kinship with us that makes it imperative to help us.

During the last week I have experienced the truth of the Talmud’s teaching: Either friends or death (Taanit 23a).