Beth Jacob Rings in 79 Years
More than 300 people came to celebrate Lag B’Omer and the 79th anniversary of Congregation Beth Jacob on May 19th.
More than 300 people came to celebrate Lag B’Omer and the 79th anniversary of Congregation Beth Jacob on May 19th.
The highlight of the evening, which took place in the synagogue, was Rabbi Ilan Feldman’s interview the with his parents, who flew in for Jerusalem for the event. Rabbi Emanuel Feldman and his wife, Estelle, charmed the large crowd as they reminisced about Jewish Atlanta and Beth Jacob seventy years ago, when they moved to Atlanta as a young married couple. Rabbi Feldman, now 94 years old, went on to serve the Beth Jacob synagogue for forty years.
As an inexperienced 25-year-old rabbi, he recalled, his goal had been “to be the best rabbi I could be.” At that time the synagogue consisted of just thirty to forty members, “and most of the members were embarrassed to be called ‘Orthodox.’”
The Feldmans were responsible for Beth Jacob’s growth and development on LaVista Road in Toco Hills.
Today, it boasts more than 600 members and hosts a vibrant Orthodox community that attracts Jews who are looking for the infrastructure needed to live an Orthodox life: schools, a kashrut commission, mikveh and a Kollel group whose mission is to enhance Jewish learning in Atlanta. When the Feldmans first arrived, though, Atlanta seemed to them “a sleepy southern town with great potential,” Rabbi Feldman explained. His wife, a New Yorker who had always lived an insular Orthodox life, said she thought of Atlanta as “the wilderness that was ‘Gone with the Wind.’”
During their tenure as Beth Jacob’s rabbi and rebbetzin, the Feldmans influenced many Atlanta Jews to observe Shabbat, to keep kosher homes and to commit to an observant lifestyle, with its emphasis on serving God and following the mitzvot.
Rabbi Ilan Feldman, who was the assistant rabbi at Beth Jacob until his father retired, had a personal question for his predecessor: “Did you ever plan or hope for me to succeed you?”
The elder Rabbi Feldman responded that his son was perfect for the job because of his warmth, compassion and knowledge.
Rabbi David Silverman, dean of the Atlanta Scholars Kollel, expressed appreciation and awe for the Feldman family.
“Today, we live in the wake of all they created,” he told the AJT. “The evening was so uplifting. It’s amazing to see how two leaders can make a difference.”
Silverman added that it was wonderful to see all the love and concern the Feldmans felt for each other and for the members of the Beth Jacob community.
“We are all the beneficiaries of a dynasty dedicated to the welfare and growth of Judaism,” he said.
Throughout the evening, current congregants of Beth Jacob rubbed shoulders with former congregants and members of the Atlanta Jewish community.
Allen Shaw, who now lives in a retirement community in Florida, was a member of Beth Jacob for more than fifty years. He and his wife, Shelley, traveled to Atlanta for the event. Shaw used to play tennis with Rabbi Feldman and was eager to reconnect with his former rabbi and friend.
“It was a terrific evening,” he told the AJT. “The food was unbelievable. The whole evening was terrific. I wanted to be here to honor Rabbi Feldman and the shul.”
Lucy Carson concurred with that sentiment.
“Beth Jacob has been my life,” she said. “I had to come to see the old timers.”
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