Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on November 5, 2014

Congregation Beth Shalom of Napa Valley is celebrating its 60th anniversary, with the public invited to the party to revel in six decades of community service while honoring the dedication of the congregations new synagogue.

Congregation Beth Shalom has been a fixture on Elm Street in Napa since 1955. The first synagogue was the original Napa Chamber of Commerce building, which the congregation had trucked to the Elm Street location and repurposed into a house of worship. The structure was upgraded in the 1960s, but over the years, the building began to show its age, and the need for a new building became a necessity rather than a wish.

Plans for a new synagogue really began to take shape in 2007, said Congregation Beth Shalom Board President Barbara Lustig. Thats when we decided to stop talking about a new building and start planning a new building. We talked about starting from scratch and moving somewhere else, but this is our home. We want to remain in the heart of the community.

In 2012, the congregation began drafting plans and fundraising, and construction of the new 8,000 square foot synagogue began that May just in time, according to Lustig.

That old building it was falling apart, she explained. Every month something different would break. It was just time, and Im glad we were able to move forward when we did. I dont think that building would have survived the earthquake. When we got the building from the Chamber in the 50s, it was already some 50 years old. There is no way that 100-year-old building would have made it. Not in the condition it was in.

Congregation Beth Shalom was lucky as far as the August earthquake is concerned. Project manager and contractor Paul Rodman said the new synagogue only suffered minor cosmetic damage in the quake and construction wasnt delay by the shakeup.

When constructing the new synagogue, Rodman was careful to include what he could from the old building, including 62-foot wooden beams that were camouflaged for years by a second ceiling.

That was a fun find, Rodman said. When youre taking apart older buildings, you never know what youre going to find, but finding these beams was like finding a hidden gem. And they were in such amazing shape.

"We were able to keep three of them to use for the trellis above the main entrance. I know thats been very important to the congregation: to incorporate the old building their history into this new building. They are looking to the future while paying tribute to their past.

The synagogues design incorporates a lot of natural light as light holds an important place in Jewish tradition. The 12 colored glass art elements in the sanctuary, designed by famed Napa artist Gordon Huether, are homage to the 12 core values of Judaism.

Link:

Rebuilt synagogue mixes history and hopes for the future

Category: Synagogue
Tags: