(News Letter from Jacksonville)
Jewry of Jacksonville is entering 1928 under auspicious surroundings, two new buildings having been acquired by the outstanding congregations here during the past two months.
A review of the past few months in Jacksonville brings out, according to Rabbi Israel L. Kaplan of the Temple Ahavath Chesed, the fine spirit and interest and enthusiasm on the part of Jewish people here in the congregational activities, the crux of Jewish life in Jacksonville.
The congregation B’nai Israel, Conservative, recently, with the occupancy of the Jacksonville Jewish Center, dropped its name as Congregation B’nai Israel, assuming that of Jacksonville Jewish Center. The Center was constructed at a cost approximating $125,000. Rabbi Samuel Benjamin is spiritual leader of the congregation.
TO BUILD NEW TEMPLE
Temple Ahavath Chesed, Reform congregation, has purchased one of the city’s finest homes in the exclusive Riverside residential section. The home was remodelled at an outlay of $70,000 and all social affairs and activities of the religious school will be centered here.
It is planned, according to Rabbi Kaplan, to dispose of the downtown temple and erect a new temple on the new site in the Riverside section.
Governor John W. Martin of Florida and Mayor John T. Alsop, Jr., of Jacksonville, attended the formal dedication of the Springfield Jewish Center.
The Young Men’s Hebrew Association, owning its own building with a spacious gymnasium and other equipment, is used extensively by the younger folk of both groups. Henry Herzenberg is executive secretary.
Both the Y. M. H. A. and the Jewish Welfare Association are members of the Jacksonville Community Chest.
Within the Temple Ahavath Chesed there are the Temple Sisterhood and the Temple Brotherhood. Mrs. Alex Wachtel is president of the Sisterhood. Plans of the Brotherhood for the early part of this year, according to Joseph Glickstein, its president, include fostering religious needs at the University of Florida, now carrying a sizeable enrollment of Jewish students.
About every seventh week, services of the Temple Ahavath Chesed are broadcast over station WJAX.
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