Category Archives: The way we were

Thanks to the many years of diligent work maintaining our information by Paul W., Jack & Elaine I. and others, and also their recent patience while being asked to recall many details of long-ago, we have now updated the web site Yahrzeit list to include details showing who is a veteran, and who is interred in the Sons of Abraham Cemetery. It’s been interesting to learn some more details about our community’s history. We have had some special people in our past.  Hopefully, we will find more ways to share what we know about them. www.tbabeverly.org/yahrzeits

HEBREW SOCIETY TO INCORPORATE Beverly Evening Times February 11, 1908 Papers will be passed tonight which will incorporate the local colony of Hebrews and will be the starting of a synagogue in this city. There are about thirty-five names on the list for the starting of the new congregation which will be known as the Sons of Abraham. The new congregation will have a part of the Wood building at the corner of Rantoul and Pleasant streets. They are taking an active interest in the forming of the congregation. Rabbi Sakes is making good progress with his school, which he is conducting in the Wood block on Rantoul street and already has a good attendance of local Hebrew children. If you are interested in the history and want to learn more about the people who lived where we live now, but many years ago, you should consider spending some time looking at the TBA archives.  Whether you have an hour or a day you can help the web team review the documents that have already been collected and organized. Work can be done with us at TBA, or at your home using the internet.  Contact Jeff or Deb if you … Continue reading →

Our project to digitize the TBA archives is well underway.  As we look at the many documents that have been collected and organized by Elaine Israelsohn, our Temple Archivist, you can’t help but be surprised by how things have changed but also how things are the same.  Today I came across a carefully prepared program used for the high holidays in 1947.  Holding this program,  seeing the folds from the repeated opening and closing, reading the Rabbi’s notes to the congregation, and even the the doodles on the back cover, all make holding this small piece of TBA history special.  What came to mind is the great effort, on the part of so many people, that went into putting this High Holiday service together. And that this level of commitment still exists at TBA today.