While visiting Philadelphia (Mendel had a speaking engagement at one of the Chabads) we did a walking tour of the Old City, Philadelphia’s historic center. While there we really wanted to visit the historic Mikveh Israel synagogue, a Philadelphia landmark.
We feel connected with this synagogue through our late friend Dr. Herman Prins Salomon who prayed with our campus Shabbat morning Minyan at UAlbany but often went to this synagogue in Philadelphia for special occasions like the High Holidays. Herman also frequented the Moroccan Synagogue in Montreal and the historic Shearith Israel in NYC (near which he had his Central Park area apartment).
Herman was known for his excellent Haftorah readings, which he read with great accuracy, gusto and flair. He would tell us excitedly that he’s being honored with this or or that Haftorah at this or that historic synagogue he’s going to for the holiday. The sing-song of some of his Haftorah readings still ring in our ears!
That’s why we had to take this photo standing on this historic Bima. And look around at the synagogue layout – it is just as Herman liked it, the Bima towards the back of the sanctuary, and the rows of benches on both sides facing towards the center.
Many of our Minyaneers of Herman’s time may remember his rearrangement of the furniture to try to match that – on good Spanish-Portuguese Jewish tradition. Herman was a staunch (and stubborn!) believer in maintaining his and his family’s traditions and old customs, which he greatly cherished and held in high regard.
The synagogue’s director showed us the Beit Midrash that Herman’s legacy dedicated in his memory. Herman certainly loved books! And there’s also a beauutiful Megillah on display there that dates back.
There’s also a big display case with lots of historical artifacts and a wall of oil portraits of synagogue leadership and early prominent members of the Jewish community there – some very much intertwined with early American history.
We got to see the Birkhat Kohanim chair in front of the Bima that holds the washing cup and basin, and the simple but elegant wooden chair itself dates back to the 1800’s. She pulled back the Bima cover to reveal the Bima underneath and show us the original well-worn historic wood of the original Bima that dates back many years.
Before leaving, we went back one more time to the synagogue sanctuary. We joked that the synagogue pews/benches (with comfy padding) seem to be a much lower profile than the double-stacked chairs or high stools that Herman liked to sit on. He always liked to sit on a double-stacked chair or a higher stool.
So I thought I’d sit down and try a seat. I sat down, and lo and behold, of all the seats in that sanctuary I happen to sit exactly in Herman’s seat!
(and in Philadelphia of all places! As it is told that this is the city where the Friediker Rebbe also visited the historic area, and when visiting Independence Hall he was honored (in recognition of his stance against the communists and his fight for religious freedom) was honored to sit in the “Chair of the Rising Sun” which George Washington sat in for those three weeks in history…)
Right in front of me, exactly where I sat, was the plague with his name: Herman Prins Salomon! What are the odds! It felt so familiar, so close. May his memory be a blessing.