Happy New Year: 5722

First Congregation Sons of Israel reported to Historic City News that they have invited Rabbi Merrill Shapiro to St. John’s County’s oldest synagogue to lead High Holy Day services; ushering in the Jewish New Year 5722.

Shapiro, who serves as the President of the National Board of Trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church and State served pulpits in Richmond, Virginia and Longwood, Florida for more than 20 years.

“I am honored and flattered to serve such a vibrant and exciting congregation as that found at First Congregation Sons of Israel,” Shapiro said. “The congregation’s sense of family is most attractive. Many members have left behind family up north and now serve as kin to one another, creating strong bonds, seeing each other through times of joy as well as times of sorrow.”

The congregation will welcome the New Year 5722 at services beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28th, the eve of Rosh Hashanah.

Services for the first two days of Rosh Hashanah will take place at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, September 29th and again at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, September 30th and will include the traditional sounding of the Shofar, the Ram’s Horn. Services for Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Repentance will be held on Friday evening, September 30th at 7:30 p.m. and again on Saturday morning, October 1st at 10:00 a.m.

All worship services at First Congregation Sons of Israel are held in the synagogue’s sanctuary at 161 Cordova Street in St. Augustine’s Historic District. Arrangements to attend services can be made by calling 904-824-2638.

The Day of Atonement, the fast of Yom Kippur, will be marked at the synagogue on Friday evening, October 7th at 6:30 p.m. and again on Saturday, October 8th beginning at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at dark.

Rabbi Merrill Shapiro grew up in Bloomfield, northern New Jersey and studied Electrical Engineering at both Cornell University and Newark College of Engineering (now New Jersey Institute of Technology). He became a student at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and was identified as an educational leader by the Melton Research Center for Jewish Education and sent to lead its pilot school at Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus, Ohio. It was there that Rabbi Shapiro met his wife Robyn, a specialist in both Early Childhood and Health Education.

Recognized as a Senior Educator in North America, Shapiro was awarded a Pincus Fellowship to study and serve as a graduate research assistant at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. While in Jerusalem, he completed his Rabbinic studies at Kollel HaRav Rosenstock. Returning to Columbus for two years, Shapiro was recruited by Temple Israel of Orlando as an educator. A short time later, he was asked to assume the pulpit of Congregation Beth Am in Longwood. After serving Congregation Or Atid in Richmond, Virginia the Shapiros returned to Florida and took up residence in Palm Coast. There he served Temple Beth Shalom, became the President of the Flagler Area Ministerial Association, a Jenny Jones Hero and a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation.

The First Congregation Sons of Israel was organized in the late 19th century under the leadership of Jacob Tarlinsky. Until 1923, when the synagogue was dedicated, services were held in a private home on Bridge Street. Most of the members were from Russia and Eastern Europe seeking freedom from religious persecution.

The Jewish community has always been an integral part of St. Augustine and has participated actively in its social, civic and religious life. During World War II, our small congregation sent 41 of our young people to serve in the Armed Forces.

An Oneg Shabbat is held each Friday night and a Kiddush each Shabbat morning, providing members with the opportunity to socialize, introduce themselves to newcomers and make everyone feel comfortable and at home.

All members are deeply involved in running the synagogue. The Sons of Israel family enjoys the fellowship and kinship, which derive from a variety of activities such as worshipping together, celebrating holidays together, laughing together and studying together.

Members have found a home away from home where friendly people are always eager and willing to help. Couples, single parent families, senior adults, inter-marrieds or prospective converts to Judaism all have a place at Sons of Israel where they count and are important both as a Jews and as human beings.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News archive photograph