Tree of Life
Members travel from entire U.S. to celebrate Congregation’s 100th anniversary They came from Seattle, Washington, Jackson Heights in the Bronx, Dummerston, Vermont and scores of places in between like San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, the District of Columbia and all over the state of Florida.
Over 230 strong, doctors and lawyers, Bubbies and Zadies, kids and parents, business leaders and retirees all returning for the recent celebration of the Tree of Life Congregation’s 100th birthday since its founding in Uniontown.
The festivities, which took place over the July 4 weekend, started with an old-fashioned picnic at the Uniontown Jewish Community Center, appropriately decorated for Independence Day with red, white and blue stars and stripes. Swimming, softball and klezmer music provided the background while rain threatened all day. But the main events were hugging, kissing and greeting old friends, Hebrew and Sunday school classmates and long ago Shule members. Picnic fare included homemade sloppy joes, traditional hot dogs, fried chicken and potato salad, followed by watermelon.
Many people started July 5 with personal visits to old-time haunts in the area, showing spouses and children where certain “coming of age events’ happened or where “we used to live.’ Some visited the beautifully kept cemetery where family members were buried. Late Friday afternoon, everyone started to gather at The Lodge at Chalk Hill for picture taking. There were so many present that the photographer had to take four different group pictures to include everyone.
Preceding dinner were welcoming greetings from myself, dinner chairman, and Fayette County Commissioner Ron Nehls and a stirring rendition of “God Bless America’ by Karen Bennett-Jackson and the traditional blessing over the bread by Rabbi Sion David of Temple Israel.
Then dinner started, not with chicken soup, but with an elegant continental menu, which included grilled halibut with tomato sauce, spanakopeta, Greek village salad, Israeli couscous salad, wild mushroom, ravioli among lots of other side dishes and breads.
After eating their full, all assembled into a tent for 150 which had been erected on the lawn outside the Lodge and decorated with outstanding floral arrangements for Friday night services.
Led by GeGe Lazer, the Shabbos candles were kindled by three members of the Tree of Life Sisterhood just as dusk was beginning. This was followed by a processional bringing the Torah into the tent, led by Rabbi Jack Friedman and Cantor Jack Siegel singing the Shehechiyanu prayer. With the sides of the tent open to view the stars and a cool comfortable summer breeze, the rabbi and the cantor conducted a beautiful and spiritual Sabbath service.
At the end of the service, Commonwealth Court Judge Rochelle (Shelly) Friedman, introduced by attorney Wayne Port, gave an interesting talk on how her background in studying Torah influences her ability to examine judicial issues before her court. Kiddish in the tent was followed by a return to the Lodge for miniature French pastries, strawberries and coffee or tea and socializing.
At what seemed the crack of dawn, but was already 10 a.m. Saturday, Shabbat services started at the Tree of Life Synagogue, located on Pennsylvania Avenue. The beauty of the mosque-like synagogue building was enhanced by the two large planters at the entrance containing blooming hibiscus plants. Julia Cornue, a member and visiting florist, created the floral decorations in the tent and at the synagogue.
Cantor Siegel opened the morning service with Shacharit and Rabbi Friedman presided. Jack Siegel, currently a resident of Canada, had conducted High Holiday services at Tree of Life in Uniontown for 22 years and was warmly welcomed on his return. Rabbi Friedman served as spiritual leader of the congregation in the 1960s and had conducted weddings and bar mitzvahs for many of the returning members.
The D’Var Torah was given by Dr. I. William Grossman, who had performed this task many times in the past, before he and his wife relocated to Vermont. The Torah service was read by Dr. Perry Haalman, the current congregational leader and the Aliyahs were given to many of the out-of-town guests. The Haftorah was brilliantly and melodiously chanted by Pat Friedman, whose grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Weiss were among the builders of the synagogue building and whose father, Bobby, was bar mitzvah in the synagogue.
The Musaf service was chanted by Myron Kirshner, a former member who currently resides in Boca Raton, Fla., but spends the summer at Nemacolin Woodlands. Myron’s wife, Sue, created the well-visited Archive Museum at the Lodge for the centennial. Just before the beginning of the Musaf, a memorial was unveiled for former Rabbi Emanuel Epstein.
At the conclusion of the service, Shule-Keeper Awards were presented by attorney Herbert Margolis to the following for many years of service to the congregation: Libby Glasser, Harold Cohen, Lisa Burger, Myron Kirshner, Elaine Malyn, Bill Parker, Larry Smith and Zolen Lazer.
A permanent 100-year wall marker was dedicated by President Mort Opall and unveiled by Daniel Radman, Hilda Radman Rosenbaum and Robert Weiss.
“America the Beautiful’ was sung as the closing hymn by Karen Bennett-Jackson and the congregants retired to the Vestry Rooms for a Kiddish luncheon, organized by Marcia Cohen.
Saturday night, some families celebrated the visits of returning family members in their homes while many others attended a special showing of the movie “The Producers’ at Penn State Fayette Campus in Swimmer Hall, named for former members Meyer L. and Gertrude Swimmer. After the movie, refreshments, including punch and French pastries, were served by Elaine Malyn.
Sunday morning breakfast for out-of-towners was served at the synagogue as they reluctantly prepared to return to their homes, taking addresses of old and new acquaintances and memories of a nostalgic weekend all recorded in the beautiful program book prepared and edited by Rosalie Opall. They had renewed and continued their link with the Tree of Life.