History
Shaare Tefila Congregation is epitomized by two, apparently contradictory, trends. On the one hand, we have been a congregation that has remained unwaveringly traditional in our outlook and practices. On the other hand, we have been continuously changing.
Shaare Tefila began as a small congregation in the heavily Jewish Riggs Park area in 1951. In a short time, Hebrew School classes were instituted, a cantor was hired and the Sisterhood began its activity. Synagogue members conducted the services. These services were held in rented facilities, the grandly, but erroneously named Chillum Castle.
By 1953, the congregation hired its first full-time rabbi, Raphael Gold. The kind of synagogue we were destined to be was first defined when the more Orthodox in the congregation left to begin their own synagogue, Shomrei Emunah, an Orthodox synagogue in Silver Spring. The synagogue continued to grow, and our Torahs were carried into the new Riggs Road building on November 7, 1954.
The highlight of 1956 was the addition of Rabbi Martin Halpern, Z"L, to our congregation; a union that was to last thirty-eight years.
Rabbi Halpern joins Shaare Tefila [1956]
The synagogue continued to grow in facilities and membership until, in 1959, a mass exodus of congregants away from the Riggs Park area began and gained strength. The decision to move was made in 1961, and after occupying temporary quarters for a few years, 11220 Lockwood Dr. Silver Spring, became our home in 1965.
Farewell Riggs Park, Hello Silver Spring
Cantor Gershon Levin joined us in 1966. The new building was expanded by an addition to the sanctuary, increased kitchen space and a burgeoning list of programs and activities. By 1976, there were 850 families listed in our Sisterhood’s phone book; an all-time high for the congregation.
On November 1, 1982, the walls of our synagogue were desecrated with anti-Semitic graffiti. Rather than yielding to our first instinct, to quickly scour away these hateful symbols and words, our leadership decided to leave them up for a while and file a civil suit against the perpetrators. To make a long story short, in 1987 the United States Supreme Court unanimously upheld the right of Shaare Tefila to pursue the case in lower courts as a hate crime.
If you click on the seal of the Supreme court, you can see the 1987 Supreme Court decision as delivered by Justice White.
We had struck a powerful blow in our country’s continuing fight against hate crimes!
Shaare Tefila Laymen Hire
Rabbi Layman
The reins of the congregation passed over to Rabbi Jonah Layman.
Our long time leader, Rabbi Martin Halpern Z"L, died in 1994, shortly after retirement.
The congregation continued to change, slowly, carefully but substantially, with one of the latest changes being the adaptation of our services toward a gender-neutral egalitarian view. Our Board of Directors misses the passing of so many of our founding and original members, but they have been replaced by an engaging bunch of hard-working, cheerful, and capable men and women who joyfully attack the many issues facing a congregation moving to a new location.
Our congregation’s membership has dramatically changed from one in which the man was employed in paid work and the woman in unpaid work, to a two-working-for-pay-parents family.
Yet, despite these and many other changes, our congregation has maintained that with which it was blessed at its humble beginnings - a sense of belonging to a Shaare Tefila family.
June 25/6, 2005 Shaare Tefila
celebrated the career and retirement of our beloved Cantor:
CantorLevinRetirementConcertGala
July 15, 2005
Cantor Wendi Portman joins Shaare Tefila family
leading services as our new Cantor.
To read more about Cantor Fried, CLICK HERE.
July 14th, 2006 a Landmark Date for Shaare Tefila. On that day we sold our building on Lockwood Drive. We are preparing to make the transition to our new home which will be ready in 2009.
Cantor Wendi is married on March 25, 2007. She is now known as Cantor Wendi Fried.
Below you can find reproductions of flyers and announcements that commemorate various of the landmarks in our history
The following pages are for those who fall into one of three groups of web site browsers:
-
longtime members of Shaare Tefila who want to relive a few golden memories
-
newcomers and 1st time visitors who want to know a little bit about our congregation because they are searching for a home
-
anybody else who has an interest in who we are. After all to understand who/what Shaare Tefila is, it helps to know where Shaare Tefila came from.
These pages are organized chronologically, pretty much by decade. So come, browse, visit and learn about us:, you’ll see:
| 1951 | Shaare Tefila Congregation is established in the Riggs Park section of Washington DC |
| 1952 | Chillum Castle Lodge leased. Our Hebrew School begins Leonard Price becomes our part-time Hazzan Shaare Tefila Sisterhood is chartered |
| 1953 | Rabbi Raphael Gold is appointed our first spiritual leader and officiates at High Holiday services |
| 1954 | Groundbreaking for the first building in Riggs Park (April) Sunday before High Holidays, the Torah and Chuppah are moved into our new Riggs Park building (September) |
| 1956 | Rabbi Martin Halpern is hired as spiritual leader |
| 1960s | We honor our donors [1960]
|
| 1961 | Congregation votes to move to White Oak, MD area |
| 1963 | Moritz Weiss is hired as our Hazzan |
| 1965 | Shaare Tefila moves to Lockwood Drive, White Oak, MD |
| 1966 | Gershon Levin is hired as our Hazzan |
| 1970s | Some talented performances [1970] |
A Bonds Tribute, an individual honored [1972]
| |
| We’re growing and expanding [1974] | |
A musical evening [1975]
| |
| 1980s | The Shaare Tefila building was desecrated with anti-Semitic symbols. The ‘clean-up’ united our community and became a major news event (November). Shaare Tefila makes new law in Supreme Court. See above. |
A radical "makeover," for the Needle Auditorium [1986]
| |
Our ‘Double Chai’ Anniversary [1988]
| |
Our very own ‘Sister(hood) Acts’ [1989]
| |
| 1990s | Our Cantor’s 25th Anniversary [1991]
|
| 1993 | Rabbi Halpern retires |
| 1994 | Rabbi Jonah Layman is hired as our new spiritual leader. |
Our Cantor provides a concert [1996]
| |
Celebrating Pesach in Shaare Tefla [1999]
| |
| 2000s | Ushering in the New Year, starting our Bi-Centennial [2000]
|
Superbowl @ Shaare Tefila [2001]
| |
Congratulations from our governments! [2001] It is our fiftieth anniversary, a very special year for our Congregation. Besides all of the celebratory events, we should mention the recognition Shaare Tefila received from our state and local government represents, including:
and from Morton Bahr, President and Avram Lyon Executive Director of the Jewish Labor Committee, a hearty Mazel Tov resolution!
| |
Succoth with home-grown talent [2001]
| |
Our Education Director honored [2004]
| |
| 2005 | Cantor Levine retires and his career celebrated Cantor Wendy Portman hired as our Hazzan |
| News and Pictures from the 7th annual [6/5-7/2005]Shaare Tefila Retreat. | |
[December 4, 2005], Certificate of Recognition for the ARI committee
| |
| 2006 | June 4, Groundbreaking at the Olney Rockville site, at 11:30 a.m. Rabbi Jonah Layman delivered the opening prayer at our Zeh ha-yom asah Adonay, nagilah ve-nismecha vo - This is the day that God has made, let us rejoice and celebrate!” (Psalms 118:24)
|
| July 7/8, Last Shabbat Services in Lockwood Drive Home July 14th, Lockwood Drive building sold! | |
| Thursday, October 26 Shaare Tefila receives Planning Board Approval to begin the permits process. |
10881 Lockwood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20901 P: (301) 593-3410 F: (301) 593-0280
Page Maintained By: webmaster@shaaretefila.org. Site by HG Interactive.