Savannah and Charleston

By Hershel Lieber

The Southern States have a soothing ambiance that sets the perfect mood for a relaxing vacation. People there are not in a rush, and their walking pace is more like taking a stroll. There is chatter and laughter in the air as children and adults alike share the public venues. The weather in autumn is relatively warm, albeit with a slight breeze, and the trees are still lush with greenery. With this setting in our minds, we traveled to Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, in November of 2009. It was only for five days, but there we found the peace and calm that we were looking for.

Both of these cities signify significant places in our country’s history. They were part of the original Thirteen Colonies, played key roles in the Revolutionary War and had a great impact during the Civil War. We also discovered the rich Jewish history that is associated with these cities and that Jews still retain a presence there to this very day.

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and settled into the lovely Victorian Forsyth Inn facing Forsyth Park at the center of Savannah’s iconic twenty-two Squares.

These Squares are like mini parks, many with statues or monuments, and are surrounded by classical mansions and townhouses from different periods.

After unpacking and eating lunch, we began to walk the town, literally for hours. We passed by and stopped at many of the Squares and sat down to rest under the massive oak trees that shaded the pathways. Then we walked through the historic district heading toward the riverfront. There, the old commercial buildings were gentrified into shops and cafes facing the Savannah River. Tourists as well as locals filled the cobblestoned pedestrian promenade creating a delightful atmosphere. Early evening, we headed back to our inn where we ate our dinner by candlelight on the veranda.

I got up at five o’clock the next morn- ing and headed to the Bnai Brith Jacob Shul. I met and learned Daf Yomi with David Garfunkel and joined the minyan for Shacharis. The rav of the kehilla is Rabbi Avigdor Slatus, a musmach of the Mirrer Yeshiva. We spoke briefly, and he showed me the 1,200-seat main sanctuary. We made up to meet again to talk at length. At the same time, I learned about the Garfunkel and Rabhan families who are the driving forces that support the shul, the Jewish schools, the mikvah, and everything that is necessary to preserve and disseminate Yiddishkeit in Savannah. I rushed back to Pesi after davening, and after breakfast, we were picked up for a three-hour comprehensive tour of the “Hostess City of the South.” The tour was fantastic in that we saw a great number of Savannah’s attractions and learned much about its unique history. Then we headed to the Mickve Israel Congregation. The synagogue, which was organized in 1735, is one of the oldest in the United States. Its history is intertwined with Spanish and Portuguese Sephardic Jewry, the first Jews that came over to the States. It was not until the late 1860s that they started to drift towards Reform Judaism, which culminated in 1904 when they joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The present building, though not the original one, was built in 1878 and has many historic artifacts about the Jewish community of Savannah including a beautiful letter addressed to them from President George Washington. When visiting a site like this, we always have mixed feelings. In one way, we are proud of the original Jewish pioneers who, through remarkable self-sacrifice, brought their faith over to the New World. But we mourn the generations that made self-decimating changes that culminated in the abandonment of Torah traditions and values.

We then headed to the Bnei Brith Jacob Shul for Mincha and Maariv. Adjacent to the shul is Buckingham South, an assisted living residence for adults. The facility is managed by Rebbetzin Rita Slatus, Rabbi Avigdor’s wife. The kosher adult residence is available for dining for Jewish tourists, and this is where we ate dinner for the next two nights. Rebbetzin Rita joined us and gave us a lot of information about the community and the shul and told us about herself and her husband. After dinner, we returned to our Inn and called it a night.

The next day, we enjoyed a lighter schedule. After shul and breakfast, we took a tour of the 19th Century Andrew Low House. Low was a very successful cotton merchant, and his story mirrors the saga of Southerners who made their fortune through the use of slave labor. I love studying history and enjoy viewing artifacts that present images of bygone eras. Pesi has also developed a sense of appreciation for the same.

Our next stop was the Telfair Museum of Art where we were enchanted by the artwork of Walter MacEwen. His paintings were influenced by the Hague School and reflect realism using muted colors in the style of Vermeer. When we returned to our room, it began to rain so we spent a quiet afternoon on the veranda. We later went back to shul, and afterwards I joined

Rabbi Slatus in his office where we had a long conversation. We ate dinner again at Buckingham South. Rebbetzin Rita packed up some cake to take along which we had with steaming tea before retiring for the evening.

On Wednesday, after Shacharis and bletree and made our way to the Visitors Center. There, we watched a forty-minute film which introduced us to South Carolina’s largest city by way of its history and through pointing out what attractions we could see. We took some brochures and booked a city tour for the next morning. the jewelry manufacturing business, he answered in the affirmative and said that he was his son. What a small world! After davening, I went to Avi Pollack, a local caterer, who prepared two delicious fish dinners to take back to our hotel. breakfast, we headed again to the Telfair Museum where we viewed an exhibit called Dutch Utopia about American artists in Holland from 1880-1914. This exhibition enticed us to return to the museum again. Then we checked out of the Forsyth Inn and drove to Charleston. Two hours later, we checked into the Dou-

Thursday after Shacharis we returned to the Visitors Center and started a ninety-minute excursion of the city. Although it was cloudy and cold, at least it did not rain. Among the sites we visited was the Joint Base Charleston which serves 90,000 active-duty personnel from every branch of the military. Our guide was witty and very informative, and we really enjoyed every minute of the tour. After a simple cake and coffee lunch break, we resumed walking through the historic city center for about three hours. We took loads of pictures, which really came out great.

By the time we came back to our hotel, it was time to go to Mincha/Maariv. I went alone to the Brith Shalom Beth Israel Shul where the weekday davening took place in a small side building. As I entered, I met Rabbi Ari Sytner who warmly welcomed me. When I inquired if he was related to Barry Sytner, a former client who was in

I later went back to daven with Rabbi Sytner, and we continued our conversation. I have since found out that he is currently the Director of Community Initiatives for Yeshiva University, a noted psychologist and popular author. I then picked up our dinners from Avi the caterer, and we had a relaxing evening prior to our planned departure back home the following morning.

Call it Southern hospitality. Call it Southern comfort. Either way, we had a lovely time.

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.