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Spirits high this High Holiday

Temple members are excited to observe their religion's holiest days, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, in a new synagogue.

By MINDY RUBENSTEIN
Published September 27, 2006

As Temple Ohev Shalom opened its doors on Saturday and Sunday for its first High Holiday services in its new building, emotions were piled high.

"We're a little nervous but very, very excited," said congregation president Craig Mauer.

Diane and Barry Moskowitz, along with other temple members, have been attending services at places like community rooms, doctor's offices, and hotels for about five years.

The new 3,000-square-foot temple building opened in August in Tampa Palms, in time for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the holiest days of the year for practicing Jews.

Rabbi Mordechai Levy presided over last weekend's Rosh Hashana services and will do the same for Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown Sunday.

"You feel like you actually have a stable home," said Diane Moskowitz. "To have a building and to have a place you can call home was important."

Rosh Hashana, which was last weekend, is the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, a day when Jews fast to repent for their sins.

For many, the high holy days are a time of deep introspection, to make improvements, offer forgiveness, and try to become a better person.

Raised in the Southern Baptist faith, Mrs. Moskowitz converted to Judaism, and for her Rosh Hashana has an added importance. It's a very historical and family-focused holiday, she said.

"To convert, it was okay for me. ... I'm not giving anything up. I'm just learning more of the historical side of it."

She and her family live in Pebble Creek in New Tampa. Before Ohev Shalom started, they drove to South Tampa to attend temple.

Mary Reitz said not a lot of Jews in Pasco know about the New Tampa temple or realize how close it is. She and her husband live in New River Township near Zephyrhills and previously attended services at temples in Tampa and Pinellas County.

"It's so exciting," she said of having High Holiday services in the new temple.

"We're really excited about not having to go hither and yonder."

She said she hoped that since it's actually going to be in a temple, more people would come for services and become part of the congregation.

"I personally hope that with the temple being built that more people will join," she said. In part, she blamed having services in the "little meeting room" for the temple's relatively low membership. The temple currently has about 55 families.

"The only other people in the Pasco area we know belong to another temple," she said.

Services were held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Mauer estimated half the 120 people at services on Saturday, the main service, were in the temple for the first time. "There were lots of new faces in attendance, and it went very well," he said.

While for now the building is somewhat limited in functionality, last weekend's services went off without a hitch.

"You want everything to go smooth based on what we have," he said. They have plans to expand, including classrooms for their religious school. "We're just not there yet."

Former temple president Mark Weissman saw the building process through, and for him, having High Holiday services there was exciting.

All the lights and sound system worked, Mauer said. "There were no major issues."

Yom Kippur services begin Sunday at the temple, 6460 Tampa Palms Blvd. in Tampa, at 7 p.m. Monday services are at 9:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. until sundown. For more information, call (813) 632-9900.

[Last modified September 26, 2006, 22:44:23]