It has already become a habit for many of us to periodically visit the construction site, going through its floors, starting from the roof, and going down into the basement, which will eventually house a presentable hall for major social events. There you have an imaginary visions of the beautiful crystal chandeliers’ sparkling lights, dressed up groups of people and a slight whisper: “It’s too good to be true—it’s all ours!”
Recently my attention was attracted by a nimble sunlight spot wandering along 108th Street; it was reflected in bright glare in the first few layers of the golden covering of the synagogue domes. It looked like a mesmerizing spectacle, which will catch the eye of the whole neighborhood on clear sunny days, especially delighting and inspiring numerous congregants and those who were involved in and empathized with the construction of this house of G-d. Simultaneously the installation of the general cooling system of the building on the way.
The current relatively quiet spot at the site reminds of the readiness for the final finishing work associated with the installation of windows and the subsequent full sheetrock paneling of the internal metal structures that have already been assembled.
The Beth Gavriel Center management finally came to a decision in concordance with which the synagogue building, according to its great purpose as G-d’s house designed to be used by many generations of our ethnic group, should meet people’s aesthetic feelings and their needs for convenience as much as possible. For instance, conventionally speaking, you can buy chairs or all other pieces of furniture for a dollar apiece. Then after a short while, this austerity will result in the need for either a major overhaul, or replacement of those items as proof of the principle of “buy nice or pay twice.” The conclusion is obvious: the only thing that pleases the eye is the one that costs not a dollar but two. In this case, the savings will turn out to be true, and not imaginary, worthy of serious people who know life firsthand, who are used to appreciating every cent, especially the people’s one.
Over the past 30–40 years, our American community has been replenished with a new generation of successful young people, whose spiritual and family lives are by and large associated with the activities of the Beth Gavriel Center. The success of attracting young people to the final stage of the synagogue construction depends largely on such reputable organizations as Chazaq, Torah Anytime, Emet, which are working in close contact with the Center. The future fruitful and spiritually meaningful life of this generation of worshippers, who now densely occupy mainly the second floor of the current synagogue building, will receive the new incomparably more comfortable conditions for fulfilling their religious requirements.
By V. Kandinov
Our Construction Site: Golden Domes Of The Beth Gavriel Synagogue
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