Kesser creates new shul in community’s heart

By Kaplan Tuttlebaum

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Rosh Hashana is a time of sweet new beginnings—for people, for congregations and even, as it turns out, for buildings.

A year ago, at Rosh Hashana, Rabbi Kenneth Brodkin announced that Congregation Kesser Israel had purchased the former Tuck’s Brewpub on Southwest Capitol Highway as the site for its new home near the MJCC. That was the beginning of a new beginning.

This year, work is well under way on the transformation from “bierstuebe”(beer hall) to new shul. And while the remodeling is not yet complete, both rabbi and congregation are celebrating the many achievements of the past year, and looking forward to their new home.

“This has already been a tremendous change for us,” Brodkin said of the transition from the historic Meade Street shul to the Multnomah area, where the shul has been holding standing-room-only Shabbat services at the Multnomah Art Center since last Passover 2006. “More people—and especially more families—have been able to join us since we’re now in the heart of the Portland Jewish community."

The congregation has added a regular Shabbat children’s service, a monthly teen minyan, and also has been having strong twice-daily minyans throughout the week. Membership, as well as participation, has been increasing, noted Harry Glauber, Kesser Israel president.

“We have weathered substantial changes this year,” he said, “yet with each change, Kesser Israel continues to thrive.”

Glauber said Kesser Israel initially hoped to be able to hold services in the new shul for the upcoming holidays, but the renovation project—from drawing up plans to fundraising—has taken more time than anticipated.

“We should be there within the next few months,” he said. “And we’ll definitely have a big celebration at that time.”

For the holidays, Kesser Israel will be holding Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services at the Multnomah Art Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy., and Sukkot and Simchat Torah services in the Portland Jewish Academy chapel and in the Mittleman Jewish Community Center auditorium (For a complete listing of services and times, see www.kesserisrael.org.). Brodkin stressed that everyone is welcome to attend the services; the congregation does not sell tickets, though donations, he said, are always appreciated.

When completed, the new Kesser Israel will accommodate approximately 200 men, women and children in a comfortable, attractive multipurpose sanctuary and social hall. The renovation includes gutting and refurbishing the building’s interior into the multipurpose room, with space for a small rabbi’s office and storage, installing a new roof and adding exterior upgrades, including landscaping and signage. There also are plans for a new Aron Kodesh, mechitzah (divider between the men’s and women’s section), and center bima, a table on which the Torah is read in the center of the congregation.

“This is going to be an incredible gem of an addition to our Jewish community,” said Jeffrey Weitz, of North Rim Commercial Development Group LLC, the general contractor for the project.

“I’m excited for Kesser, because it will now be in a central location that’s integrated with our newly remodeled Jewish community center, and allows for a lot of future growth.”

Weitz, who is donating his developer’s fee to the project, added, “I just couldn’t be more pleased.”

Allen Levin, a longtime member of Kesser Israel, has been the congregation’s point person on the relocation and renovation. He’s worked closely with Weitz and others while continuing his kosher catering business, managing the new kosher ‘Café at the J’ restaurant (which just opened Aug. 8), catering his niece’s wedding and preparing to supervise kashrut on a kosher cruise of the Baltics.

“We owe Allen a tremendous amount,” said Brodkin. “He has really devoted himself to this project.”

Levin noted that only part of the property purchase and the renovation budget is being covered by proceeds from the recent sales of the historic Meade Street shul and the congregation’s Vermont Street property. Additional donations have come from some congregants and friends of the shul, but Levin said the congregation needs to raise significant additional funds—both for this part of the project, as well as planned future expansion.

Immediate additional needs, he said, are for a youth and adult education wing, as well as a full shul office and meeting rooms. Eventually, the congregation plans to build a formal sanctuary on the property, which includes almost a half acre of land.

The new shul development, Brodkin said, is in keeping both with Kesser Israel’s beginnings nearly a century ago in the historic Old South Portland Jewish community, and with its vision for the future.

“We call Kesser ‘The Orthodox Synagogue for All Jews,’” he said, “and that really is part of our mission. We welcome everyone to experience the riches, rhythms and warmth of traditional Jewish life.”

With the new building, Kesser Israel will be physically located in the new heart of Portland’s Jewish community. And for the rabbi and his congregation, there’s no better way to welcome the new year.