Centennial Celebration Weekend
We are looking forward to our in-person celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Adath Yeshurun Synagogue over the weekend of March 4-6, 2022 and we want you to be part of the festivities.
This weekend will coincide with the opening of the “A Source of Light” Exhibit at the Aiken County Historical Museum and will include a wide range of events that create an opportunity to celebrate this milestone with people who share an interest in and connection to the Aiken Jewish community.
To register online, click here
Below is the schedule of events:
Friday March 4th
· 2:00 - 4:00: Pick up registration packets at the Synagogue, including the Centennial Commemorative Catalogue
· 4:00 - 5:30: Opening reception for the “A Source of Light” Exhibit at the Aiken County Historical Museum. This event kicks off our festivities and allows us to thank & acknowledge the partners that helped make these celebrations happen (City of Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Museum, JHSSC, SC Humanities, Southern Jewish Historical Society, etc.). The program will include remarks about the Exhibit and a ribbon cutting. Champagne, wine, beer & light hors d’oeuvres.
· No dinner planned; chance for families with guests from out of town to get together on their own
Saturday March 5th:
· 10:00 - 11:30: Shabbat morning service at the Synagogue. Services led by Rabbi Klensin (Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Children of Israel in Augusta) with musical support from our Michael Sasnow
· 11:30 - 12:00: Group photograph of Centennial Weekend attendees on the steps of the Synagogue followed by the unveiling of a plaque honoring Judith Evans in the garden next to the Synagogue (where the latest memorial bricks are in the walkway)
· 12:00 - 1:00: Catered boxed lunch at the Synagogue. Seating available in the social hall or under a tent pitched in the garden on the south side of the Synagogue. Mix of sandwiches, side salads, fruit & dessert.
· 1:30: Unveiling the Historic Marker on Laurens Street celebrating the contribution of “Aiken’s Jewish Merchants”
· 2:00 - 3:00: Walking tour of Jewish heritage sites in downtown Aiken. Note: we will leading this walking tour but we also have materials for people to do their own self-guided tour. The tour starts on Laurens St & ends back at the Synagogue
· 3:00 - 4:00: Visit to the Sons of Israel Cemetery: drive from the Synagogue to the cemetery (<5 minutes) with time to visit family plots and see the final resting place for many in the Aiken Jewish community
· 6:00 - 9:00: Night at the Museum: Passed hors d’oeuvres followed by a strolling dinner with a variety of stations (e.g. beef tenderloin, salmon, etc.) and dessert. Seating available in the ballroom as well as outside in the garden under a tent. Opportunity to mix & mingle with other guests while taking in the A Source of Light Exhibit
Sunday March 6th:
· 9:30 - 10:30: Brunch at the Synagogue (e.g. bagels & lox, quiche, fresh fruit salad, coffee cake). Seating available in the social hall or under a tent in the garden on the South side of the Synagogue
· 10:30 - 10:45: Zoom session with Rabbi Mark Sameth (in the social hall). Rabbi Mark was a student Rabbi at the Synagogue in the 1990s, including at the time of the 75th anniversary. He will share his memories of his time in Aiken and its’ impact on his career
· 11:00 - 12:00: Panel discussion about Jewish life in Aiken (in the Synagogue sanctuary). Panel participants are scheduled to be Sondra Katzenstein, Phil Gaeser, Aaron Surasky, Alan Brooks & Linda Taylor. Ernie Levinson will moderate.
Panel members will speak for 5+ minutes followed by Q&A with audience participation. The discussion will focus on memories and personal experiences at the Synagogue & growing up or living Jewish in Aiken (including memories of prominent members of the community no longer with us).
We are using this opportunity to feature people that did not speak as part of our virtual programming last year. We are also seeking to have a mix of perspectives (i.e. descendants of early Aiken Jewish families along with long time Synagogue members). ,
· 12:00 - 12:30: Message from Bill Schuster on the state of the Synagogue
Interest in this event is high and we know many descendants of the early Aiken Jewish families are planning to travel here for these festivities. At the same time, we know there are serious concerns about the health risks tied to the current spike in Omicron Covid cases.
As a result, we are taking proactive steps to assure this event is as safe as possible for all participants. Vaccinations & boosters are required. Wearing high quality masks is required indoors and we will have masks available for anyone that needs one. Our caterers are experienced and will be following Covid protocols. And we are offering the option of tented outdoor seating for meals at the Synagogue & the Museum.
The costs to put on this program are considerable but 100 year anniversaries only come around once and we believe this milestone deserves something special. At the same time, we want to make this event accessible to as many people as possible and we recognize that not everyone has the time or financial flexibility to participate in the entire program.
As a result, we now offering three options to participate:
Entire Weekend: $175/person. this option includes participation in all programs over the weekend
Daytime only: $20/person/day. this option includes all daytime events on Saturday or Sunday (does not include the opening reception & Night at the Museum)
“Night at the Museum” only: $100/person. this option allows people to attend the marquee event on Saturday night
Our goal in charging these fees is to cover the cost of putting on this program — which has been made more challenging by steps required to address Covid related health risks as well as increasing catering costs tied to supply chain issues. Remaining funds (if there are any) will go to the Synagogue general fund.