Holy Ark dedication program, Portland, 1949
Item 53997 info
Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh
Even as the synagogue moved into its new building in 1904, historian Michael R. Cohen wrote, members faced the challenge of observing religious laws and traditions -- and fitting into Portland and America.
He argues that Shaarey Tphiloh adapted to Protestant America, modernizing in a number of way, while maintaining many Orthodox practices.
One compromise, Cohen noted, was making services more "refined," limiting individual participation in favor of a rabbi-centered "performance."
The bimah, which is in front of the ark, was built at the front of the sanctuary in the new synagogue, rather than in the center as was traditional.
In 1949, under the direction of the congregation's new rabbi, Morris Bekritsky, a new ark took its place in the Newbury Street synagogue.
Item 7 of 13
