Old York Road Temple-Beth Am is a historic synagogue. In 2022, it celebrated its 75th anniversary, as the shul was founded right after the end of World War II. It recently celebrated another important anniversary: 50 years since the temple’s sanctuary was dedicated in honor of the Molish family.
Rabbi Robert Leib said that the family is as important to the Old York Road Temple-Beth Am community as any.
“The family name is really synonymous with our synagogue,” he said.
On Sept. 22, the synagogue held a rededication ceremony, complete with three generations of Molish family members there to commemorate five decades of the Clara and Morris Molish Sanctuary.
Clara and Morris’ grandson, Richard Molish, said the sanctuary has meant so much to him and his family, as well as the synagogue community at large.
“It is a source of comfort and support in times of distress, and it is a source of added joy in times of happiness. … It is filled with inspirational worship and sermonic messages, along with songs rich in liturgical melodies. Within it all, we find the warmth and caring of a sacred community,” he said.
The Molish family has helped in other ways, too. Just recently, Richard and his wife Ilean helped pay for a three-course Rosh Hashanah meal at the synagogue. Helping the Old York Road Temple Beth-Am community in any way they can is a Molish family tradition that started with Clara and Morris, which is why their children and now grandchildren make sure to do the same. At the event, Richard touched on this.
“I spoke about my grandparents coming here, establishing a business, raising a family of six children, and then the six children dedicating the sanctuary that had been recently built in memory of their parents,” he said.
The event was held in concert with the Erev Rosh Hashanah service, with the rededication leading right into the service.
Molish said that the camaraderie and spirit of the event were wonderful, and that Rabbi Leib and the rest of the synagogue leadership did a fantastic job in creating an environment of joy.
“There was a special portion of the service when some members of the congregation who are in need of healing gathered, and [Rabbi Leib] offered prayers of healing. It’s so special, so warm and so inspiring. That was the highlight of the service — the music by the cantor and the professional and volunteer choirs. The music was beautiful,” he said.
The Molish story is an American one.
In a small town outside Kiev in 1904, Clara’s father wanted her to venture to the United States, while Morris was hoping to avoid being drafted by the Tsar’s army. He passed through her village, and they were matched for marriage together on account of them both being on their way to America.
“They first met the night before they were married, and the next day, they sailed off to the U.S.,” Molish said.
The newlyweds had their honeymoon aboard the SS Chemnitz as it departed from Hamburg to Philadelphia. In their new home, they established a corner grocery in South Philly, living right above their store.
Two generations later, Richard Molish is an attorney at a firm bearing his name with his own happy family.
There is a reason that all these years later, the family is still at Old York Road Temple-Beth Am. Their values of love, respect and Jewish tradition are mirrored at the shul they attend.
“Why it means so much to me is because of longevity. I think about [my ancestors] who were very active [in the synagogue] when they moved into the community. I was a bar mitzvah here,” Molish said. “I believe that our future as a Jewish community will depend on the relationships that we’ve all developed within the environment of a synagogue, socially for one another, but also that we’re there for one another in times of stress. … It’s a safe place to go where you know people will care for you.”
Just like many other synagogues in the formerly bustling Old York Corridor, Old York Road Temple-Beth Am has many older members. Leib said that he is proud of the longevity of the shul and that he hopes it will continue for many more anniversaries.
“I’m proud of the fact that we continue to maintain our independence, and I hope, I pray, that that will continue for years to come,” he said.
Such a wonderful story…. And we do truly relate.
Bonnie and Mike Slobodien