Congregation Beth Israel, the Modern Orthodox synagogue, is preparing to mark this Shabbat on the occasion of its 10th anniversary as a permanent presence in Metairie. Following the passage of Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the drainage canal system, the New Orleans sanctuary, adjacent school and administration building at 7000 Canal Street in Lakeview was devastated in 2005.

Given an opportunity to use facilities at Congregation Gates of Prayer on West Esplanade Avenue in order to conduct Orthodox prayer services, a newly-constituted Congregation Beth Israel met for six years in the Bart Room. It was an unusual partnership between a Reform temple and an Orthodox synagogue.

Following a $3 million capital campaign, the congregation broke ground in June of 2011 on a building site secured by purchase from Gates of Prayer. Spearheaded by Brawer and Hauptman, a Philadelphia architecture firm that specializes in synagogue design, the final plans incorporating a wooden building with Jerusalem stone were chosen.

 

Beth Israel dedicated the new sanctuary one year later on August 27, 2012. The new synagogue incorporated some of the materials salvaged from the old Beth Israel synagogue and saved the massive brass Chanukiah previously lit there.

 

An Italian firm was chosen to build the Aron Hakodesh with the Hebrew biblical phrase that translates to “Mighty rivers cannot extinguish our love” emblazoned upon it as a reference to the challenges the congregation withstood following Hurricane Katrina. Five Torah scrolls were donated from various organizations and they have been housed in the Aron Hakodesh ever since. 

 

Two days after the dedication, the synagogue experienced the passage of Hurricane Issac on August 29, the same day as Katrina seven years before. History repeated itself last year when Hurricane Ida made landfall on that same day, plunging the entire city into a massive loss of power.

 

Following worship services that begin tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., Beth Israel will hold a special Kiddush lunch at approximately 11:30 a.m, Plans are for members to remember figures like former presidents Jackie Gothard, z’ll, and her son Eddie Gothard, z’ll, who were instrumental figures in bringing the congregation back from the brink of destruction.