Rabbi Howard Morrison

Ever since I moved to Toronto twenty-two years ago, I have looked forward to Summer vacations when I can visit family and friends in the U.S. In particular, I enjoy spending a day with members of the two synagogues I served during my earlier years in the rabbinate. From 1987-1991, I served as a newly ordained rabbi in Union, NJ. From 1991-2000, I served as rabbi in Wantagh, Long Island, NY.

Because of Covid, I had not experienced my usual Summer travels in three years. This past Monday, however, I spent a nice afternoon with members from my Wantagh days. On Thursday, my brother joined me in meeting up with a married couple from my congregation in Union, NJ. At the end of a nice time had by all, the couple from Union reminded me that several years ago, the congregation sadly had to close its doors but sold its facilities to a Yeshiva for university age young men. On our way back to my brother's house in Passaic, NJ, we detoured to take a look.

My brother and I were dressed in casual Summer attire as we approached the entrance to the Yeshiva. There we were welcomed into the building by some of the students. I explained to them the history of the building in which they were learning, and that I had served as the congregational rabbi some thirty-five years ago. They introduced my brother and me to one of the rabbinic leaders of the Yeshiva, and we shared a nice conversation. Years ago, I lived in a synagogue owned home two doors from the shul. It is now a dormitory for the students. The rabbi's study I once sat in was now the administrative office. The former sanctuary and chapel were now filled with portable chairs and long tables for traditional Yeshiva learning. 

One of the students then showed me a digital board near the entrance of the building. The students had taken all the memorial plaques from the years in which the building was a functioning synagogue and digitalized all the names. The memorial board is kept on 24/7 with the names appropriate to the current week and month rotating over and over again. I was overwhelmed to see how this Yeshiva, only several years in its current location, honored the memories of congregational members who spanned the 1950's ​to the mid 2000's. What was once known as Congregation Beth Shalom and later on as Congregation Bnai Ahavat Shalom after a merger is now called Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Leyma. My brother and I wearing modern knit Kippot and dressed in Summer clothing were warmly received by young men and a couple of their rabbis attired in more formal clothing. Despite the visual differences, we were all Jews sharing in the past and the present of the site which served as my first full time position after ordination.

During the current three weeks of sadness on the Jewish calendar, we lament "Sinat Chinam -  the baseless hatred among Jews" in ancient times. For a few moments on this day, I basked in the "Ahavat Chinam - the baseless love among Jews." May Ahavat Yisrael, the love of all Jews for one another, become more than a temporary experience of a few minutes.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison