Northern Tahoe Hebrew Congregation has met wherever it found space: in a convention center, in a church, even in a casino.
“The community has been very good to us,” said its president, Ed Gurowitz.
But its vagabond status will end next year. The beginning of 5762 was especially sweet for the congregation, as it broke ground for its new building.
Earlier this month, Rabbi Yitzchak Nadler led the Jewish community of Lake Tahoe’s North Shore in reciting Shehechiyanu, the prayer for a new occasion, as the congregation dedicated the land for a synagogue of its own.
Actually, the ground had already been broken. “We started digging several weeks ago,” said Gurowitz.
The Tahoe area has stringent guidelines about construction.
“They won’t let you dig after Oct. 15, and you can’t do any construction unless your foundation is poured,” said Gurowitz, “so we’ve been rushing to get it all done.”
Getting the permit took the Reform-affiliated congregation that calls itself “Reconservadox” a full year.
A synagogue exists on the South Shore of Tahoe — it has a building, but no rabbi. The North Shore has been in the opposite situation, without a building but with a rabbi for the past 11 years.
Moving to Tahoe was “the nicest gift we’ve ever given to ourselves and our kids,” said Nadler, who used to be spiritual leader of San Francisco’s Congregation Ner Tamid. Nadler began as a part-time rabbi, and then it increased to full-time after a few years.
Since he has lived in Tahoe, he has watched the community more than double — from 57 families to around 140.
Nadler said the congregation is diverse in terms of practice, and said Tahoe’s Jews are committed to the area and to their own community.
“There is not a single hospital or local art or music festival that someone in the community isn’t involved in. Most people probably think there are thousands of Jews here.”
When Nadler first accepted the job offer, he viewed the lack of a building as a positive because all too often, rabbis can feel as if they’re serving institutions as opposed to people.
“That it was so family-oriented was really appealing,” he said. “I never pushed for a building, I decided if the community wanted to build it, they would do it, and they have.”
Quoting one of his rabbinic colleagues, Nadler said that sometimes a rabbi has to remember that “a building serves you, you don’t serve it.”
Nonetheless, with the expansion of the Jewish community, “it’s grown to the point where we need it, so I feel wonderful,” said Nadler.
Gurowitz described the future building as very “Tahoe-esque.” It will be a two-story wooden structure that will blend into its surroundings, with a view of the lake. It will also serve as a community center, which he hopes the general Tahoe community will use as needed.
The ground-breaking is especially gratifying to Gurowitz, who said it was one of the reasons he became president.
But there is still much to be done; Gurowitz estimates that another $600,000 needs to be raised for the building itself, and $1 million for everything needed inside.
Ernie Grossman, chair of the building committee since its inception, said, “Just getting through the local government authorities is a major undertaking, so having done so, we’re elated.”