Indeed. When davening in BCSA I often think back to the days when I use to go with my father to the little shuls on Ocean Drive and Collins Ave. and daven with the old Yidden there. This is a flavor which is disappearing fast and one won't be able to recapture any time soon. That being said, It is amazingly refreshing to notice that there is a "nice size" (everything is relative) young crowd that comes to daven also.
It's interesting that for years, people always thought that from the local shuls, BCSA would be the first one to die off, yet here they are years later, hanging on. Young Israel is on their last dying breath, (some of their members already migrating to BCSA) and I would bet that, however crazy this may sound, that BCSA would outlive Westville.
ZalmanNH | 07.29.08 - 11:45 pm | #

what a name for a shule?
Tzemach | Homepage | 07.30.08 - 9:45 am | #

I find this post "unbelieveable" !
The blogger praises the balcony , the bima etc in this sanctuary and the other commentator claims this shul reminds him of the syns of his youth in Miami (??) (perhaps he attended church as a youth)all the while failing to mention that this edifice was built as and used for years as Episcopalian Church ! I ahve never walked inside but the outside of the building remains almost exactly the same as before.
Perhaps one ought to check what Reb Moshe Feinstein wrote in Igros Moshe about davening in such a sanctuary.
The Satmarer Rebbe once told Rabbi Meir Amsel who asked him if he could daven in a shul that was a church that "its fine if you wish to stand next to JC"
My point is not to prohibit this shul - reality is reality - but to wax nostalgic about the building and its aura is nonsensical.


Any serious comment on New Haven ought to mention the "strange death" of the Young Israel and where the proceeds of its sale are located.
Also any serious comment on BCHSA should mention the death several weeks ago of its Baal Kore of over 50 years Mr. Norman Rubin A"H.
schneur | 07.30.08 - 11:36 am | #

A few comments are in order:

re: the name of the shuls. BCSA is Bikkur Cholim Sheves Achim. The shul is a merger of two shuls, Bikkur Cholim and Sheves Achim Anshei Lubavitch. As a result of that merger Nusach Ari (Tehilas Hashem siddur) is the official Nusach of the Shul.
Westville is the Westville Synagogue, the biggest Shul in New Haven (i.e. the most members, Chabad has the largest Shabbos minyan).

re: BCSA being housed in Church. Indeed the current building was purchased from a Church, but so what? There are many Shuls that were purchased from churches, but more to the point what does this have to do with the flavor of the shul.

I did grow up in Miami Beach, and Ocean Drive as well as Collings Ave. used to be full of littel shuls and shtieblach. For years Satmar would vacation in Miami Beach and during the winter South Beach was packed with Chassidishe Yidden.

re: Funds of the sale. Hmm.. I was wondering about that myself. Why was a tiny little shul demanding an exorbitant amount of money from a ...Yeshiva (!!) for their building. What are they planning of doing with all that money? I guess something things we'll just have to wait to find out.

re: Mr. Rubin. It is people like Mr. Rubin, and the other special Jews who daven there, who I have in mind when I say that BSCA reminds me of the shuls of my youth. BCSA houses quite a few of these unique individuals, who all contribute to the special feel of the shul.
ZalmanNH | 07.30.08 - 2:07 pm | #

So let me get this straight, you moved from Miami to NH. Man, that's what I call Golus.
Tzemach | Homepage | 07.30.08 - 2:30 pm | #

Re the previous comments there is a concept called Sacred Space.Would one contemplate the Beth Hamikdash using the former building purchased from an idol worshipping cult like the Molach? A shul is a MIkdash Me"at.
There is also something in Judaism called halacha and a search about the halacha in this case would be in order. Frankly I wonder if the leadership of the shul asked a shaayleh by a competent More horeah prior to the purchase.
But as I said reality speaks louder than the abstract and I guess the facts are on the ground.
The history of the shul is fairly accurate with I think a bit of forgetfullness.
Although Nusach Ari was in force in this congregation for many years, at the same time the congreagtion in its old place of worship had separate seating but no mehitzah of any sort for many years (over 20 years) and no erliche Yid would willingly daven there.
As far as the Young Israel is concerned, the building was far from tiny and was worth at least the 800,000 they received from Chabad. And no one forced Chabad to buy it and furthermore the D family that runs Lubavitz in NH has the money to pay YI for the beautiful building if they wanted it for a shul, yeshiva and community center. Thats not the issue , the issue is where's the money and how will it be used . There was a total alck of transparency in the sale of the shul, meetings were held in a stealth manner, officers were forced out , elections were held in a stealth manner. In recent months the rabbi (Rabbi Cypess) was fired in an undignified manner.At the very least some transparency is called for.
The "death" of this shul is a serious blow to the state of orthodoxy in NH. The YI was bullwark of Orthodoxy in NH for many years.
Finally since the YI, Westville, Lubavitch and BCSE have all been mentioned, may I also mention the Yeshiva of NH directed by Rabbi Daniel Greer. They have daily minyonnim, a Shabbaes minyon a daily daf Yomi shiur and other shiurim, They run a small high school, and day school.
Although small in numbers the yeshiva and its affilaited shul has serious learning on a daily basis, a fine davening and is full service.
It is a worthy successor to the 1st yeshiva gedola outside of New York and Chicago adminstered by Rav Yehuda Levenbergin New Haven and later in Cleveland.
Schneur | 07.30.08 - 4:05 pm | #

The tiny shul was referencing the size of the attendance, not the physical building. As a matter of fact the YI members that do show up often go to Chabad to daven with a minyan. The transparency issue is a big question, why should a Yeshiva be put in a 900,000 dollar hole when the money is not going to any growth or functions. There is another visiting Rabbi every week because the Rabbi Cypess was forced out by the same person who brought machlokes to a previously sholom community.
Anonymous | 08.03.08 - 1:37 am | #