Benefit Concert for the New Synagogue

Dewezet
April 15, 2004

Congregation’s music group "Shalom" sings for the building fund.

Rachel Dohme calls it a “dream of history” when she talks about the plans to rebuild the Hameln Synagogue. American architect Arnold Oppler, who’s contract for the building project is pending, will provide the plans. What’s missing is the money. Money for the project will be raised through contributions and “Every contribution helps!” says congregation president Rachel Dohme. On Saturday, April 17, the group will celebrate their fifth anniversary with a benefit concert in Hameln.

“Shalom” — moderator D.Vogelhuber, F.Pelts, N. Pesok, M.Ovsievych, and V. Fridman

The members of the music group “Shalom” are all immigrants from the Former Soviet Union. They share a love of music and theater, and this hobby aids their integration in their new home.

The group is composed of Mark Ovsievych, Nadja Pesok, Faina Pelts, and Valerij Fridman, the group leader. The group continually attempts to enlarge its repertoire of Hebrew and Yiddish songs. The benefit concert will showcase mainly Yiddish pieces. It’s their way of saying thank you to the congregation. They hope with this concert to raise money for the building of their new synagogue.

The Jewish Congregation of Hameln is one of seven communities that form the State Board of Jewish Congregations in Lower Saxony. The Jewish Congregation of Hameln is a Reform congregation and follows in the footsteps of the pre-war German liberal tradition. “This tradition means that men and women are equal in all religious responsibilities and obligations,” says Rachel Dohme, who, besides being president of the congregation, is the Jewish board member of the Society for Christians and Jews in Hameln. The congregation is led by Rabbi Irit Shillor, and services are held in Hebrew, German, and Russian.

The congregation has grown from 19 to 200 in six years. Of special importance is the congregation’s “open door policy” as far as their non-Jewish neighbors go. School classes, church groups, and civic organizations are welcome guests. An association of “Friends of the Jewish Congregation of Hameln, ” composed of mostly non-Jews, supports the community and attends functions at the community center.

In 1999, a Torah was presented to the congregation from a congregation in New Castle, Pennsylvania. In 2003 the present rooms were dedicated. The land where the Hameln Synagogue stood until it’s destruction in 1938 was recently aquired by the congregation.The Liberal Synagogue Hameln Foundation will raise money to build and maintain the new building and raise money to pay a spiritual leader.

The building phase will begin as soon as there “is enough money in the bank.” First major, local contributors have risen to the occasion. “It’s time that there was a synagogue in Hameln again,” says Dohme. The task force: A Synagogue for Hameln has formed to help the community realize their dream. Members are Hamelners Christa Bruns, Hans-Georg Spangenberger, Gerd Scheunpflug, Wolfgang Tilch, and Werner Stapp.

Tax-exempt contributions can be made online (click “New Synagogue” on this Web site) or through the Jewish Appleseed Foundation (www.jewishappleseed.org) and earmarked for the “Hameln Synagogue” project.