Young Israel Shomrai Emunah
Encyclopedia
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah or YISE is an Orthodox
synagogue
located in Kemp Mill
, Montgomery County, Maryland
. It was the first Orthodox synagogue established in Montgomery County it is presently one of the largest Orthodox synagogues in Maryland and is recognized as a key synagogue in the Silver Spring, Maryland
area.
al activities with other local Orthodox institutions such as The Greater Washington Community Kollel. It offers a variety of programs such as for senior citizens in conjunction with the Jewish Community Center
of Greater Washington
. It is also affiliated with the JCRC
(Jewish Community Relations Council) of Greater Washington.
For environmentalists
it has co-hosted programs with the Canfei Nesharim organization that provides: "a Torah
based approach to understand and act on the relationship between traditional Jewish sources and modern environmental issues...which explores environmentalism
through the lens of Halacha (Jewish law) and traditional Jewish sources. The new initiative is known as Maayan Olam: the Silver Spring Torah and Environmental Group...endorsed by the Silver Spring Orthodox congregations Young Israel-Shomrai Emunah, Kemp Mill Synagogue."
to the Riggs Park neighborhood in Washington
. In the early 1960s there was a trend of residents moving into suburbs. Rabbi Anemer continued to lead service in in D.C with the remaining congregants, while conducting minyan in his basement in Silver Spring. In 1963 Young Israel built a synagogue on University Boulevard, the first one in Montgomery County:
Rabbi Anemer also served as rosh yeshiva
["dean"] of Yeshiva of Greater Washington
and Av Beit Din
["head of Jewish court"] of the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington.
After 52 years of holding the position of rabbi, Rabbi Anemer died on April 15, 2010.
The Washington Jewish Week
commented on his passing:
He was succeeded by Rabbi Dovid Rosenbaum.
on University Boulevard. The complex included two buildings, one for religious services and another for a nursery school. By the late 1960s the synagogue membership outgrew the facility and members began to move into the Kemp Mill subdivision, which is about 1 mile north of the synagogue's location. So, the membership raised funds to build a second, larger building in Kemp Mill. The congregation also maintained the original 2-building complex, including its nursery school as it outgrew the location. Over the past fifty years, the Young Israel grew from 30 families to some 500 today.
Young Israel has seven different services going on each Shabbat
(Saturday) morning, everything from a minyan
in the Sephardi
tradition to one for early risers. All those services are still under the same roof.
The current president of YISE is Dr. David Mazel. The immediate past president is Robert Levi.
, banquet hall for weddings, prayer services for Sephardi Jews
, assistance with job hunting, notable guest speakers from the Jewish world, such as a Silver Spring native Lazer Brody who joined the Breslov Hasidim.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
located in Kemp Mill
Kemp Mill, Maryland
Kemp Mill is a census-designated place and an unincorporated census area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 9,956 at the 2000 census....
, Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
. It was the first Orthodox synagogue established in Montgomery County it is presently one of the largest Orthodox synagogues in Maryland and is recognized as a key synagogue in the Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
area.
Affiliations and associations
The synagogue is affiliated with the National Council of Young Israel. The synagogue has sponsored Jewish educationJewish education
Jewish education is the transmission of the tenets, principles and religious laws of Judaism. Due to its emphasis on Torah study, many have commented that Judaism is characterised by "lifelong learning" that extends to adults as much as it does to children.-History:The tradition of Jewish...
al activities with other local Orthodox institutions such as The Greater Washington Community Kollel. It offers a variety of programs such as for senior citizens in conjunction with the Jewish Community Center
Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
of Greater Washington
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
. It is also affiliated with the JCRC
JCRC
Jewish Community Relations Council is a generic term for local public affairs organizations which operate under the Jewish Council for Public Affairs umbrella organization.-See also:* Jewish Council for Public Affairs...
(Jewish Community Relations Council) of Greater Washington.
For environmentalists
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
it has co-hosted programs with the Canfei Nesharim organization that provides: "a Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
based approach to understand and act on the relationship between traditional Jewish sources and modern environmental issues...which explores environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
through the lens of Halacha (Jewish law) and traditional Jewish sources. The new initiative is known as Maayan Olam: the Silver Spring Torah and Environmental Group...endorsed by the Silver Spring Orthodox congregations Young Israel-Shomrai Emunah, Kemp Mill Synagogue."
Appointment of Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer
In 1957, Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer became spiritual leader at what was then Shomrai Emunah, eventually leading the congregation from Hyattsville, MarylandHyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
to the Riggs Park neighborhood in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. In the early 1960s there was a trend of residents moving into suburbs. Rabbi Anemer continued to lead service in in D.C with the remaining congregants, while conducting minyan in his basement in Silver Spring. In 1963 Young Israel built a synagogue on University Boulevard, the first one in Montgomery County:
- “There was no Orthodox community until we moved out here,” Rav Anemer remarked. “We started davening ["prayer services"] in my house. A small shulSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
was built a year later.”
Rabbi Anemer also served as rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
["dean"] of Yeshiva of Greater Washington
Yeshiva of Greater Washington
The Yeshiva of Greater Washington is an all boys, Modern Orthodox community based Jewish Day School, that is located in Silver Spring, Maryland. It was originally founded in 1964 by Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer. It consists of a high school and beis medrash....
and Av Beit Din
Av Beit Din
Av Beit Din, Av Beis Din, or Abh Beyth Diyn . was the second-highest ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Commonwealth period. He presided over the Sanhedrin in the absence of the Nasi, and was the chief of the Sanhedrin when it sat as a criminal court...
["head of Jewish court"] of the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington.
After 52 years of holding the position of rabbi, Rabbi Anemer died on April 15, 2010.
The Washington Jewish Week
Washington Jewish Week
Washington Jewish Week is an award-winning independent community weekly newspaper whose logo reads, "Serving the nation's capital and the greater Washington Jewish community since 1930." Its main office is located in Rockville, Maryland, a Maryland suburb of the District of Columbia.Over the...
commented on his passing:
- "Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer, a respected authority on Jewish law who founded the Yeshiva of Greater WashingtonYeshiva of Greater WashingtonThe Yeshiva of Greater Washington is an all boys, Modern Orthodox community based Jewish Day School, that is located in Silver Spring, Maryland. It was originally founded in 1964 by Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer. It consists of a high school and beis medrash....
in Silver Spring and played a large role in the establishment and growth of Silver Spring's Kemp Mill Orthodox community, died Thursday of a stroke. He was 78...Members of the synagogue seem devastated by the rabbi's death. At his funeral, Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky, rosh yeshivaRosh yeshivaRosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, said in his eulogy, 'The world has collapsed, and we are cast into darkness'...Anemer also headed the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington's beit din, religious court...But it may be his role in the establishment of the estimated 5,000-person-strong Orthodox community in Kemp Mill, home to the Silver Spring Jewish Center and the Yeshiva in addition to YISE and KMS, for which Anemer will be most remembered. Born in Akron, OhioAkron, OhioAkron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, in 1932, he studied as a boy at Tiferes YerushalayimMesivtha Tifereth JerusalemMesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem, is one of the oldest existent yeshivot in New York City, and is renowned for being the institution led by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein.-Location:The yeshiva has two campuses....
in New York, and later received s'micha, ordination, from Telshe YeshivaTelshe yeshivaTelshe yeshiva was a famous Eastern European yeshiva founded in the Lithuanian town of Telšiai. After World War II the yeshiva relocated to Wickliffe, Ohio, in the United States and is currently known as the Rabbinical College of Telshe, It is one of the most prominent Haredi institutions of Torah...
in 1952. Before moving to the Washington area, the rabbi was rosh hayeshiva, head of the yeshiva, of the Boston Rabbinical Seminary, a joint venture of the LakewoodBeth Medrash GovohaBeth Medrash Govoha is a Haredi yeshiva located in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. It is commonly known as BMG, or Lakewood Yeshiva....
and TelsheTelshe yeshivaTelshe yeshiva was a famous Eastern European yeshiva founded in the Lithuanian town of Telšiai. After World War II the yeshiva relocated to Wickliffe, Ohio, in the United States and is currently known as the Rabbinical College of Telshe, It is one of the most prominent Haredi institutions of Torah...
yeshivotYeshivaYeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
. In 1957, he became spiritual leader at what was then Shomrai Emunah, eventually leading the congregation from HyattsvilleHyattsville, MarylandHyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
to the Riggs Park neighborhood in Washington."
He was succeeded by Rabbi Dovid Rosenbaum.
Further growth
In 1963, Young Israel Shomrai Emunah moved into a new building in Silver Spring, MarylandSilver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
on University Boulevard. The complex included two buildings, one for religious services and another for a nursery school. By the late 1960s the synagogue membership outgrew the facility and members began to move into the Kemp Mill subdivision, which is about 1 mile north of the synagogue's location. So, the membership raised funds to build a second, larger building in Kemp Mill. The congregation also maintained the original 2-building complex, including its nursery school as it outgrew the location. Over the past fifty years, the Young Israel grew from 30 families to some 500 today.
Young Israel has seven different services going on each Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
(Saturday) morning, everything from a minyan
Minyan
A minyan in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan....
in the Sephardi
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
tradition to one for early risers. All those services are still under the same roof.
The current president of YISE is Dr. David Mazel. The immediate past president is Robert Levi.
Functions and services
The synagogue provides a full range of religious and social services, such a nursery schoolNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
, banquet hall for weddings, prayer services for Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
, assistance with job hunting, notable guest speakers from the Jewish world, such as a Silver Spring native Lazer Brody who joined the Breslov Hasidim.
Notable congregants
- Samuel KotzSamuel KotzSamuel Kotz was a Professor and Research Scholar in the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science at The George Washington University since 1997 until his death on March 16, 2010...
(1930-2010), mathematician and statistician. - Azriel RosenfeldAzriel RosenfeldProfessor Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld was an American Research Professor, a Distinguished University Professor, and Director of the Center for Automation Research at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, where he also held affiliate professorships in the Departments of Computer Science,...
(1931-2004), computer scientist and mathematician.
See also
- American JewsAmerican JewsAmerican Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
- History of the Jews in the United StatesHistory of the Jews in the United StatesThe history of the Jews in the United States , has been part of the American national fabric since colonial times.Until the 1830s the Jewish community of Charleston, South Carolina was the most numerous in North America. With the large scale immigration of Jews from Germany in the 19th century,...
- Jewish prayer services
- National Council of Young Israel
- Orthodox JudaismOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
- SynagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...