Synagogue models link students to world of Judaism
Posted by Solon Times: Wednesday, May 31, 2017 11:45 pm By SUE REID
As a child, Rabbi Zushe Greenberg recalled being mesmerized by the replicas of synagogues on display at Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv, Israel. He visited once again as an adult and was equally captivated. The synagogues, and all of their different materials, designs and architecture, showed that Jews were “one people, one family,” a lesson Rabbi Greenberg brought to students of the Hebrew school recently at the Chabad Jewish Center of Solon. To cap off their school year, students in grades fourth through seventh completed mini replicas of eight synagogues from around the world. The students researched, built the replicas and presented the international synagogues to parents last week at a ceremony marking the end of the academic year. Synagogue locations included Rome, England, China, Prague, St. Petersburg, France, Cologne, Germany, and Newport, R.I. “It created an amazing environment and connects the students and families to Jews all over the world,” Rabbi Greenberg said. “They felt they are a part of an international community.” The Rabbi’s wife, Miriam, noted that the students were taught to see beyond their own community. “Our kids think America is the whole world,” Mrs. Greenberg said. “We want to show them that there are Jewish communities all over the world. “We all pray and worship the same way,” she added. “Building the model synagogue was really cool,” said Aidan Cullers, 12, of Solon. “I enjoyed doing the research and learning about the Jews in colonial America.” Aidan, a student at Solon Middle School, said he learned from the project that during the Revolutionary War most of the people who worshiped at Touro Synagogue fled the city of Newport, R.I. Because of this, the synagogue did not fully rebuild the congregation until 1883. Touro, built in 1763, is the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States and the only surviving synagogue building in the U.S. dating back to the colonial era. “I found it interesting that the Jews of the Touro