THE UNFOLDING STORY OF
TEMPLE EMANU-EL:
A Journey into our history and our place in the World
From a group of 35 people who had a vision for a permanent synagogue to the vibrant community we are today, we invite you to take a scroll through the important moments that define our congregation and the events that shaped our world.
1950s
1957: Ken Fritz’s memory of his Bar Mitzvah, TEE’s first
1957: Memories of the Nursery School
1960s
March 1965: The battle against compulsory participation in the WHS Christmas Pageant
June 9, 1967: Dr. Terry Kroloff remembers the start of the Six Day War
1970s
September 25, 1970: Rabbi Leonard Thal, Temple’s first youth group leader
January 10, 1971: March for Soviet Jews By Diana Cohen
1973: The Yom Kippur War
September 10, 1978: Fritz Lehr and the Library Dedication
1980s
1986: A.R.K - By Jacqui Rose
1990s
2000s
September 11, 2001: The Temple and 9/11 - Darren Schulman
2010s
September 2012: TEE Mitzvah Garden
2020s
September 11, 2020: Words from Rabbi Prosnit at his Installation as Senior Rabbi
September 13, 2024: Elliot, 7th grade student - Thoughts On Religious School
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Jenny Tananbaum for her vision in creating this historical event from conception to copywriting and project management. To Evelyn Averick, author of A Historic Narrative, Lois Essenfeld and Deborah Holz, creators of Temple Emanu-El’s 60th Anniversary video, and the editors and contributors to the book Learn. Pray. Do Justly., for their extensive archives of historical information; to past and present clergy, lay leaders and Temple presidents; to Jason Horowitz and Sophie Tananbaum for lending their voices for the audio tour; and to the many other members of our congregation who shared memories and photos and provided assistance in putting together this timeline of Temple Emanu-El.