The members of a newly formed Moscow Jewish theatrical group touring Jewish communities in the Soviet Union to become better acquainted with Jewish tradition, ceremonies and places of interest were deeply moved by their visit to the Leningrad Central Synagogue where they were addressed by an American rabbi, Jacob Pollak, of Congregation Shomrei Emunoh of Boro Park, Brooklyn.
This was reported here by the AI Tidom Association which said it learned from its sources in Leningrad that the theatrical group attended morning services at the synagogue Aug. 14. The group, comprising 38 Jews and two non-Jews, is headed by Uri Sherling.
According to AI Tidom, when the Torah was being removed from the Holy Ark a sudden, loud cry pierced the air. The worshippers looked at the visitors and noticed that many of them stood transfixed, with tears rolling down their cheeks. One member of the group, evidently gripped by emotion, was unable to restrain the outburst upon seeing a Torah scroll for the first time.
At the conclusion of the services, the president of the synagogue committee asked Pollak, who was at the services as part of a tour of the USSR he and his wife were making, to address the group in the synagogue’s wedding hall. The rabbi in his remarks reminded the theatrical group that they had the power to reach Jewish hearts through song and speech and exhorted them to fully utilize the opportunity. The actors, AI Tidom reported, were extremely impressed with Pollak’s words and deeply moved by the experience in the synagogue.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
