Maine Memory Network

Each rabbi in Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh's more than 100-year history brought his own approach to negotiating the relationship of the synagogue and its congregation to the larger community and to its Eastern European Orthodox roots.

Isaac Marcus was the first rabbi. David Essrig, who served as rabbi from 1917 to 1926, stressed training Jewish youth in the traditions of the religion, but he also used English, in part to appeal to youth who did not use Yiddish.

Abraham Miller, who became rabbi in 1930, served all Orthodox congregations in the area, a tradition that continued.