Rabbi Michael Klein displays his honorary hard hat at the ground-breaking ceremony for Congregation Ahavat Olam in Howell on Oct. 26.
Photo courtesy Congregation Ahavat Olam
November 18, 2008
Sharing the “ahava” or “love” that was in their respective names, a Monmouth County synagogue and a nearby Ocean County congregation have merged.
Congregation Ahavat Achim/Jewish Community Center of Howell and Congregation Ahavat Shalom of Lakewood are now one — Congregation Ahavat Olam.
The Conservative synagogues, each of which has approximately 200 members, are joining forces in order to better serve the community, said Rabbi Michael Klein.
“The boards of directors of both congregations decided to make a match made in heaven,” Klein told NJ Jewish News. “The merger will provide us with a greater opportunity to serve the general Jewish community.”
Klein has served as religious leader at Ahavat Achim and now holds the pulpit at Ahavat Olam. Rabbi Lee Paskind, the former religious leader of Ahavat Shalom, which was founded in 1957, has moved to Peekskill, NY.
The building on Windeler Road in Howell that has been the home of Ahavat Achim, which was founded in 1923, will serve — after its expansion — as the home of the new congregation.
In December, construction at the five-acre site will begin on a project to enlarge the facility that will cover almost all of the acreage, according to David Kobb of Howell, cochair of the Ahavat Olam building committee. A ground-breaking ceremony was held on Oct. 26,
The Howell synagogue is approximately 18,000 square feet; the new structure will measure approximately 36,000 square feet and will include new classrooms, a youth lounge, a daily sanctuary, increased office space, a library, two kitchens, and a social hall. The congregation is working with SWS Architects of Livingston.
The cost of the renovations is approximately $4.2 million, said Kobb, adding that some of the funding will come from the sale of the Lakewood building. Money also will be provided by Ahavat Achim, while additional funds will be acquired through fund-raising efforts.
If all goes according to plan, Kobb said, the renovated building will be open by December 2009.
Until its home is ready to be occupied, the congregation will meet in the Lakewood synagogue, which is less than six miles from the Howell site, and members of the merging congregations have already begun to worship together there, said Klein. Although the building reportedly has been sold to an Orthodox day school, the terms state that it remain available to Ahavat Olam congregants until the Howell location is ready for use.
The decision to merge was made 18 months ago, but work at the Howell site could not begin until building permits were acquired and the necessary paperwork was completed, Klein said.
“This project is going to be a very exciting undertaking,” he said. “Bringing two congregations together like this and dealing with building renovations and site improvements will be very challenging, but the members of Ahavat Olam have already proved that they cope well with change.”
--TOP--
Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com
