The Synagogue - Place of Worship

The "Great Synagogue" in Saveni

The" Moreshet Avot" synagogue in Ramat Hasharon

Both of the above mentioned synagogues played an important role in my parents' life. The synagogue was not only a spiritual place where they could attend the various religious services and ceremonies, recite prayers, chant religious songs, but also a place which enabled them to mingle socially, meet and make friends, discuss matters of mutual interest, and so on.

The 'Great Synagogue ', also known as the 'Central Synagogue', one of half a dozen synagogues once existing in our native town of Saveni (Botosani county), Romania, is closed now and is in a deplorable state.

This synagogue was situated on the street , called in those days, "strada Sarbi " - Sarbi being the name of the village whose boundary was at the very far end of this interminable, long street.

The building of the synagogue was dignified, both the facade and the interior. There were stairways leading up to the women's balcony. I remember frescoes, and nice liturgical objects.

On holidays, I used to go with my parents Beti and David to the synagogue. There , I met with other children and we had 'a good time ' together, outside . We usually went inside for the "special parts", for instance ,to listen to the shofar blowing.This instrument made from a ram horn was producing a sort of "weeping sound" which to us children was kind of intriguing.

"Moreshet Avot" means in Hebrew "Ancestors' Heritage" and that's the name of the Askenazi synagogue in Ramat Hasharon ( our residence town in Israel) which we attended on Holidays. My parents used to go there also on Sabbath. They liked the place and most of the people that came to the religious services and to other events.

The left wall in the entrance hall is a Remembrance Wall with tin memorial plaqes inscribed with the names of deceased congregants. Near each plaque, a candle which lits up on the death day & month of the person to be remembered. I purchased such plaques and had them displayed on this wall- in memory to my parents Beti and David, my brother Hersh and his boy Shai, my uncle Haim and his wife Elca, my infant sister Mina -Ruhale and my Mom's youngest sister Rifca (both victims of the Hollocaust who perished in Transnistria).

בית הכנסת והורי

הורי יקירי, בטי ודוד, זכרונם לברכה

היו בין באי ביהכ"נ הגדול בסווני, רומניה

ובישראל, נמנו על באי ביהכ"נ מורשת אבות

אשר בעיר רמת השרון, ברחוב הרב הרצוג

עבור הורי, בית הכנסת היה

לא רק מקום מיועד לתפילה

כי אם גם מוקד לימודי/ חברתי

לבעלי זיקה לעם היהודי

שני בתי הכנסת בלטו בסביבתם

מבחינת מבנה, עיצוב, מרקם

והותירו בלב הבאים והולכים בשערם

תחושה זכה, יחס וזכרון חם

הורי הביעו לא פעם את רצונם

'שבבוא זמנם 'לעבור מן העולם

תעצור מכונית חברת קדישא שבה גופתם

"בחזית בית הכנסת "מורשת אבות

לאות פרידה , ומתן כבוד

Sinagoga si parintii mei

Parintilor mei le placea

La sinagoga a mergea

De sambata si sarbatori

Carti de ruga la subsuori

Se porneau de dimineata

Sa prinda loc bun in fata

Sa auda hazanul mai bine

Si sa poata vedea pe oricine

Respectau traditia, iubeau hazanut

Credeau in Dumnezeu , si in Iaadut

Sinagoga era pentru ei in primul rand

Beit Hael, Templul - un lacas sfant

Ambii mei parinti si-au dorit

Ca la timpul si momentul potrivit

Masina funebra cu corpul neinsufletit

In drum spre cimitir, sa faca un stop

In fata, la a lor 'shil' "Moreshet Avot"

Dorinta le-a fos indeplinita.