Thanks to kindness of community, programs & services relocate for now, with little disruption.

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer

When members of Beth Abraham Synagogue met for Shabbat services Saturday morning, Feb. 21, that week’s Torah portion spoke of God’s command that the Israelites build the Mishkan, a portable sanctuary, “That I may dwell among them.”

This was also the once-a-year Shabbat when sisterhood and men’s club lead every aspect of the services.

In her d’var Torah (sermon), sisterhood board member Judy Chesen said of the Mishkan that “God wanted the people to become partners and to work together to create something amazing.”

“Thursday evening, when our congregants heard that there was a pipe that had leaked onto the second and first floors of the synagogue, they could not come fast enough to lend their support in any way they could,” Chesen continued from a platform in the multipurpose room of the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education in Centerville.

“Many worked at the synagogue until midnight to pack up sacred objects to keep them from harm. Others made phone calls to summon members to the synagogue. The unity and holy community that we have worked so hard to achieve was visible in the compassion and intensity with which our people worked. Today, we held our services in a different location, however, we took our mikdash (sanctuary) with us.”

Beth Abraham’s next Shabbat service was scheduled to be held at Temple Israel. Its Purim festivities will take place at Beth Jacob Congregation, with members of both synagogues sharing in the celebration and Megillah reading.

For now, Hillel Academy Jewish Day School — based on Beth Abraham’s third floor — has relocated to Temple Beth Or, months before its planned move there for the next school year.

“If it wasn’t for the kindness of this community, this could really be a crisis,” Beth Abraham President Julie Liss-Katz said. “It’s been an overwhelming outpouring. All the organizations’ offers of support have been amazing. Every Jewish organization in town has offered to do what they can for us. It speaks very kindly of our Jewish community. There are so many heroes in this story.”

A valve on the fire suppression system broke at about 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19 in the synagogue building, located at Sugar Camp in Oakwood.

“It was hard to get the water turned off,” said Beth Abraham Building Committee Chair Matt Arnovitz, who has worked in commercial real estate for more than 40 years.

“For 30, 40 minutes, it flooded the whole second floor because that’s where the pipe is. Obviously, all that water goes from the second floor to the first floor.”

Arnovitz commended the Oakwood Public Safety Department and Capt. Chuck Balaj for their fantastic help.

They carried the Torah scrolls out of the synagogue and loaded them into Arnovitz’s vehicle in short order.

“And then we met (Jewish Federation Security Director) John Davis, who opened up the Federation building. We put the Torahs in his office and covered them with tallesim (prayer shawls).”

The Torah scrolls, Arnovitz said, weren’t in immediate danger, but the humidity levels in the building posed a threat.

“The Torahs were elevated on the bima (stage) so there was no water really near them. We were more concerned with the humidity. There’s no sense taking any risk with the sacred scrolls.”

Along with all prayer books, sacred books, ritual objects, and business records, congregants emptied the entire library of its books, most of which are now stored at Schear Financial Services, next door to the synagogue at Sugar Camp, and at religious school Director Elyssa Wortzman’s art studio nearby.

“We’re using a restoration company that is fantastic,” Arnovitz said.

As of press time, Liss-Katz and Arnovitz didn’t know when the building will reopen. “There is an adjuster who is coming on Feb. 25,” Liss-Katz said.

“The process of water mitigation has begun, and we are working closely with insurance adjusters and restoration professionals to develop a comprehensive recovery plan,” she wrote in a Feb. 23 email to congregants. “At the same time, there are many building, construction, insurance, and related personnel on site. For everyone’s safety, please do not come to the synagogue until further notice.”

She also shared that Beth Abraham’s religious school is meeting in a nearby building at Sugar Camp.

Liss-Katz asked people to check the synagogue website, bethabrahamdayton.org, for service and program locations.

“We’ll figure out where we fit for each event, where the best option is for us.”

To read the complete March 2026 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.