DL Opinion columns

Grateful for generations of do-gooders – by Deborah Levine

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

Chattanooga’s Jewish history is a product of many generations. The Mizpah Congregation synagogue is definitely part of that history. It was built in the mid-1800s by Adolph Ochs who bought The Chattanooga Times and later purchased and developed The New York Times. You may remember Ochs’ granddaughter, Ruth Holmburg. As publisher of The Chattanooga Times, she took positions supporting the civil rights movement and against government corruption and environmental pollution. The Ochs family has been greatly influence, and they’re not alone.

In the late 1800s, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise visited from Cincinnati where he was an innovative community organizer. He initiated the gathering of Jewish leaders in the Union of American Hebrew Congregation (UAHC). Wise also founded the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). His dream of training new generations of rabbis came to fruition as Hebrew Union College. HUC held its first class in the basement of a synagogue now known as Rockdale Temple. Wise and his family deep involvement in building community included Chattanooga. He helped found Mizpah, his son became a rabbi at the synagogue, and his daughter married Adolph Ochs.

Mizpah was reminded of this connection to the iconic Rabbi Wise by our current rabbi, Craig Lewis who affirmed Mizpah’s amazing history in his newsletter farewell message. Lewis is moving on after 9 years of service and assured the synagogue’s members that Mizpah’s future will be as historic as its past. He, like all of Mizpah’s rabbis, is a HUC graduate and has the synagogue’s history embedded in him.

I have an emotional bond with Lewis as he underscored the value of generations and family history. My father’s yahrzeit, Jewish commemoration of death and life, comes at the same time as the rabbi’s farewell. Years ago, when we lived in Cincinnati, dad was the CFO of Hebrew Union College and I worked there as library assistant. My mother was Education Director of Rockdale Temple when I graduated from its Hebrew school and was a teacher’s assistant in its basement. Much later, I served as a research associate for the CCAR and came to Chattanooga to build the Jewish cultural Center. Rabbi Wise’s efforts to influence multiple generations were definitely successful with my family.

Many of us want to make a difference, improve our community and the lives of its members. History gives us people to emulate and places to enhance. It may not be our main goal, but we’d love to be remembered for having a positive influence on future generations. But keep in mind, the results may not be immediate. For example: Mizpah’s colonial-style building was created in 1928. It eventually did become a Tennessee Historical Preservation Site. Yet, that happened in 1979, more than a half a century later.

We should’t be discouraged when our attempts at building community take time. Rabbi Lewis was an open minded spiritual guide to the Jewish community, but he also had a broader reach. He served as chaplain to the Chattanooga Police Dept. and led efforts to help the homeless, impoverished and marginalized folks. His interfaith work helped build collaborations across diverse faiths. And he wasn’t alone. His wife, Jen Lewis, was the executive director of AVA (Association of Visual Arts), supporting artists passionately and often joined by their son, Eden. Their work will resonate for years to come, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

Every faith community thrives on their citizens’ endeavors, especially with futuristic intentions. Whatever good works you’re into, include young’uns. Show them the tasks you undertake and give them a few of their own. Generations of do-gooders are invaluable both within and beyond their communities.

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