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“Welcoming”- “Accessible” - “Congregation” - that pretty much says it all. As part of an early celebration of their time at Beth Jacob, Rabbi Morris Allen and his wife, pediatrician Phyllis Gorin, observed that, “We feel blessed having taken a personal risk in coming to Beth Jacob in its infancy, feeling that it might not work and seeing that not only did it work, but it has been a blessing for us and, we believe, for the unfolding of the Jewish message still being written.”
As part of Beth Jacob’s celebration of its tenth year, I planned to reflect on that moment in the form of a duet with my wife Sue, a parody of the duet, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” that a few of you are old enough to recall. The parody would reference Bud Sweet and Sol Minsberg, who also were deeply involved in the merger of Sons of Jacob and New Conservative Congregation and in launching the congregation. I (playing Rabbi Allen) imagined I would sing: “I just got a call/ from Bud, Larry, and Sol/ they want us to come/ up to St. Paul. Sue (playing Phyllis): But, Morris/ it’s cold up there/ etc.” That’s as far as I got.
It's easy to recall the importance of other founders, Sid Goldfarb, for example. Spotting an unfamiliar face at a Shabbat morning service, Sid, in his role as a greeter and gabbai, would approach that person, connect the stranger with a long-standing member, and, offer that person an aliyah during the Torah service.
I hope these reflections convey how Beth Jacob’s early years, as a welcoming and accessible congregation, contributed to the unfolding of the Jewish message still being written. And the story is not yet over.
Larry Savett, First President of Beth Jacob
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What made Beth Jacob BETH JACOB was the combination of all of those people who have already been recalled and the many others whose contributions to our daily minyan, to volunteering in the office, to arranging for rides, to hosting strangers when asked, to showing up at the cemetery to ensure there was a minyan for a person few knew but who deserved such dignity, - the list is almost endless. These acts of religious devotion, and a willingness to believe that there were expectations that came with being part of this community, were what made those early years so meaningful and set the pattern for its first decades.
There were so many people who all gave of their souls to make this shul what it was to be. To name but a few would be to exclude others equally deserving of recognition. But there is one person who deserves to be recognized for his passion and determination to make this shul happen. Larry Savett (and he would immediately say, also Sue) was a skilled physician and a constant seeker of community. A devoted founder and believer in the havurah-like model of Sha’are Shalom in the late 1960’s, Larry was never fully content to let the good simply be. He sought and worked hard to create something more—something that would attract Jews seeking meaning in their Jewish lives from across the Twin Cities. There were skeptics when he and his partners began this new enterprise—but Larry would not be deterred.
On July 9, 1985, Larry Savett and Bud Sweet (zl) forged a new shul community - one that was filled with vision but lacking a roadmap. For Phyllis and me, two Midwesterners who wanted to raise our children in the Midwest, taking a chance on Beth Jacob provided us with what would become our lifetime’s mission. Larry had a fondness for the phrase “But for Beth Jacob...” and finishing the sentence with something that was unique to our shul and its story. And so, as we look back on these first 40 years, I think it is fair to say — “but for Larry…” and you can begin filling in the spaces with the names of so many others. May that list only continue to grow—with a vision guided by its past and committed to an equally impactful future.
Morris J. Allen, Rabbi Emeritus
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