c. 2007 Religion News Service

GADSDEN, Ala. _ On a recent Friday night at Temple Beth Israel, with no rabbi present, Fran Beresid-Andrepont stepped forward to light the Sabbath candles, reciting a prayer.

“As these Shabbat candles give light to all who behold them, so may we, by our lives, give light to all who behold us,” she said. “As their brightness reminds us of the generations of Israel who have kindled light, so may we, in our own day, be among those who kindle light.”

Nine people sat in the red-velour cushioned pews, beneath a chandelier.

Ronald Garry, 74, stepped behind the lectern and led the remainder of the service from a prayer book. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your mind, with all your strength, with all your being,” he read.

This week, when the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana arrives on Wednesday night (Sept. 12), the members of the Beth Israel Congregation hope Jews with no place to worship during the High Holy Days will join them.

In the high balcony that looks down on the sanctuary, three choir members will sing while a musician plays an organ. “We have a beautiful choir,” Beresid-Andrepont said.

In many big cities, it’s hard to find a seat in the synagogue during the High Holy Days, when Jews are most likely to attend services. Here at Temple Beth Israel, there is plenty of room. The empty pews and halls are filled only with memories.

Three classrooms sit unused, with remnants and reminders of the past. There are some crafts made of Popsicle sticks, done by children years ago. A large commercial kitchen that once bustled in the 1950s now rarely has its stove lit. Pictures line the walls of the dining hall, showing smiling youths who had their bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs over the decades, sometimes as many as five of them in a year. But there are no children now.

Ten Jewish families started a weekly religious school for their children in Gadsden in 1903. In 1922, construction was completed on the present building, which has the classic, elegant style of a large synagogue, just on a smaller scale.

Adolph Solomon, 92, helped on the construction when he was a boy. He attends Sabbath services and watches over the place. “I turn lights on and off,” he said.

“I will never get over the tenacity of this congregation,” said Beresid-Andrepont, president of the Sisterhood, who moved to Gadsden about five years ago and began attending services at Temple Beth Israel. “Someone is scheduled to lead services every Friday night. We won’t let go.”

Once a month, Rabbi Scott Saulson travels from Atlanta to lead services. Attendance for services led by the rabbi is usually about 15 to 20.

He’ll also be leading services for the High Holy Days, culminating at Yom Kippur on Sept. 21-22. After the morning Rosh Hashanah service, the congregation will meet at the banks of the Coosa River for a tashlich service, where members will toss bread crumbs to symbolize the casting away of sins.

`The essence of the High Holy Days is to take spiritual stock,” Saulson said. “We understand failure is part of the human condition. We also review our successes and strengths.”

The members of Temple Beth Israel say that seeing a once-proud, bustling congregation dwindle can be discouraging.

“It’s typical of small congregations in small towns in the Southeast,” said Garry, whose father started a pawn shop in 1930 that Garry still runs. “The young people go off, get an education, and they don’t want to come back.”

Saulson said the congregation’s troubles reflect the economic struggles that Gadsden has experienced. “It’s been going through some hard times,” the rabbi said. “It’s hard to retain the young families which are the heart of any community.”

Those who remain are committed to reaching out, he said.

“The people who are there are very committed to the continuity of the congregation, and I’ve noticed a renewed energy in the past year,” Saulson said. “There are a lot of Jewish people not affiliated and may want to enjoy the welcoming atmosphere of our small community. We hope that people respond to our open invitation. We’re not turning people away.”

(Greg Garrison writes for The Birmingham News in Birmingham, Ala.)

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