The Shul's History

In 1901 a group of immigrant Jews from Germany met in the Lynn home of Morris Eberson to form what was to be known as Congregation Ahabat Sholom. For the first few years of its existence the members met in peoples homes while they searched for a site and raised funds to build their Shul. Thanks to their efforts, by Rosh Hashana, 1905, the building was sufficiently complete to hold services. Although permanent pews would not be installed for a few months, and the congregants had to sit on backless benches, the spirit of the holiday and the joy of worshipping in their new "home" was overwhelming.

As conditions for Jews continued to worsen throughout the early years of the decade, immigration to Lynn continued to grow and the membership of Congregation Ahabat Sholom swelled. The new members were poor but committed Jews and that commitment has been part of the ethos of the shul throughout its 100 year history.

The next few decades were uneventful for Congregation Ahabat Sholom. We did not have a permanent Rabbi so we relied on guest clergy to lead the services. We did enjoy the services of many prominent cantors, including Cantor Abraham Moss, who came to Lynn after serving the Jewish community of Ireland.

As the Jewish community in Lynn continued to grow and thrive, at least four other synagogues, unfortunately none of them still in existence, and one Conservative temple were established. Although immigration quotas were strictly enforced Jews continued to leave Europe and many came to Lynn. After World War II our ranks were swelled by survivors of the holocaust. At this time it was deemed necessary to hire a full time Rabbi. President Samuel Kurland invited Rabbi Samuel Zaitchik to be guest Rabbi for Passover, 1947. The rest, as it is said, is history, and it is a very important part of our history.

Rabbi Zaitchik was the spiritual leader of the community for the next 50 years. Under his leadership, the officers recognized a shift in the population center from its original base around the Church Street Shul, to East Lynn's "Diamond District" and to Swampscott. In 1953 the Goddard Estate was purchased and we had a satellite location to serve the new demographic reality.

At about the same time, the Lynn Hebrew School, which had begun in the Church Street Vestry as and afternoon school, added a day school component which evolved into today's Cohen-Hillel Academy. Since many of the new Temples in the area had started their own afternoon schools and the day school also drained the student base from the Lynn Hebrew School, it began to falter. Further, because it remained in the "old" part of town, many parents were hesitant to send their children. Congregation Ahabat Sholom then started its own afternoon Hebrew school which it kept until it, along with many other congregations, merged into the North Shore Hebrew School. Administration of that school is now being assumed by Cohen Hillel Academy, so we might say that the Hebrew school which started in our vestry is still the main source of Jewish education on the North Shore.

For six years we held services and classes in the Goddard estate while we had a fund raising campaign to build our present edifice. In 1952 the building was razed and ground was broken for our new building. Until the new building was ready classes and services were held in the homes of members in the area, as well as in our original building on Church Street.

The dedication of our beautiful new building took place on April 1, 1962. Among those present for the dedication were Abraham Margolskee and Morris Sachar, who as young men were present at the dedication of the building on Church Street almost 60 years earlier.

The community continued to move and soon very few Jews were left in the Church Street area. The City of Lynn had begun eminent domain land takings for urban renewal, and included in the area were our original building and the Community Mikvah. While we already had a new home for our members, the Mikvah did not.

Once again Congregation Ahabat Sholom took the lead and donated a portion of its land for the building of a new Mikvah. Rabbi Zaitchik in conjunction with Rabbis J. B. Soloveichik and M. Savitsky, as well as other world renowned experts on Mikvaot oversaw the design and building of the most halachicly correct Mikvah in all of greater Boston. The opening of the new Mikvah was celebrated with an original production entitled "We Don't Do Windows" the cast of which was made up entirely of Shul members.

This is, perhaps, the time to mention the invaluable and integral part of Congregation Ahabat Sholom which is the Sisterhood. The ladies of the Sisterhood have provided both moral and financial support to the shul for over fifty years. Whenever a special project needed funding, the Sisterhood has always been there to provide it. When the building needs beautification, whether on the inside or the outside, it is the Sisterhood that takes on the task. Many of the members of the Sisterhood perform double duty as they sit on the shul Board of Directors as well.

In the 1980's, with the beginnings of Glasnost and then the breakup of the Soviet Union, a new wave of immigrants came to Lynn. As we had served the refugees from the Tzars and Hitler, we were faced with many new challenges. Once again Yiddish found its way into Rabbi Zaitchik's remarks and sermons. We purchased prayer books and bibles with Russian translations so that our new members could follow the service as well as the native born.

In addition to serving the Jewish community, Congregation Ahabat Sholom has always been a "good neighbor" to the secular community as well. When the head start program needed space for a local site, we were happy to offer space. During the years when neighborhood concerns mounted over the long delayed Lynn Shore Drive renewal program, Congregation Ahabat Sholom was the site of many community meetings with city and MDC officials and local residents. For many years the synagogue has been the Ward three polling place for city, state and federal elections.

Much to the disappointment of the members of Congregation Ahabat Sholom, Rabbi Zaitchik expressed his intention to retire after fifty years of devoted service to the Shul, the community and to Judaism.

After a lengthy search the synagogue offered to the post to Rabbi Avraham Kelman. Rabbi Kelman had served the communities of Trieste, Italy and Jacksonville Florida before coming to Lynn. In the tradition established by Rabbi Zaitchik, Rabbi Kelman is nurturing the philosophy of Modern Orthodoxy as espoused by Yeshiva University and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of the United States (the O-U).

As we embark on our second century of service, we look forward to continued growth and an even greater role in influencing the character of Jewish life on the North Shore.