By Aryeh Levin, COLlive reporter
Congregation Ahavas Moische in Crown Heights, commonly known as The Maple Street Shul, will be holding their annual Melave Malka this week.
Scheduled for Shabbos night, March 13, at 8:00 PM, the event will celebrate the synagogue’s survival amid years of hardships.
“We got the building in bad shape,” Eli Blachman, who has been the Shul’s President since 5734 with the blessings of the Rebbe and Rabbi Zalman Shimon Devorkin OBM.
To raise funds to fix the roof and renovate, he organized a Membership Drive Breakfast with journalist Gershon Jacobson as the speaker.
“The Rebbe sent us $50 membership too,” he proudly noted.
Being located on the borders of Crown Heights, with majority of the neighbors non Jews, was a challenge for itself.
“I used to stand on the corner of Lefferts Avenue and Albany and beg people to fill our Minyan,” Blachman recalls.
Upon finding gun shots fired at the Shul following the 1991 riots, they dedicated a room to Yankel Rosenbaum HY”D who was murdered that August.
When Blachman hesitated organizing the Melave Malka, “the Rebbe told me that I must do something. Even small, but don’t stop it.”
Blachman, Chairman of the Board Yisroel Karp and Gabboim Avrohom Slavin and Michoel Slater invite the crowd to join.
They will be featuring a video from their 1981 Melave Malka with performances by Jo Amar, Zalman Baumgarten and Eli Lipsker‘s Boys Choir. And a speech by Rabbi JJ Hecht OBM.
Learn how to Help the Shul – HERE
Avrohom Leib you definetly are and will always be a true true ish hachesed. You are constantly doing maasim tovim with heart and soul and ALL your fiends can and should learn from you.
Hashem should bless you with arichas yomin veshanim tovim bebriut hanechunah and nachas from your children and grandchildren.
Keep up the great work and dont let others stop you from continuing your great work.
Maple Street shul Loves YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are correct. The kiddush club is no longer there. It’s now Shalesh Seudos/Video club.
Boruch Hashem there is wonderful wonderful warm continued homely atmosphere in the maple street shul which is very peaceful and quiet during davening. Those mentioned in by #14 are not and were not founding members , they simply wre mispallimim who moved on for personal reasons or they moved away. You all forgot to mention to give a big big Yasher Koach to the PRESIDENT of the shul ELI BLACHMAN who for over 35 years has given himself over Belev Ubenefesh for the shul despite stumbling blocks put in his way. He is definetly fufilling the shlichos and ratzon of… Read more »
We must thank Avrohom Leib Kuperman for his generosity to the shule overthe past 35 years years. He always answered the call when asked. Thank you Avrohom Leib. A true ba’al Tzedokah(without any fanfare). We miss him at maple Street Shule.
What Kiddush club? There was never any sort of club in Maple Street. Also ALL the above mentioned founding members have long moved on. Unfortunately over the years they no longer felt welcome in their Shule.
Today there is a new environment in the shule that shows little or no respect for an older person. The wonderful homely atmosphere has gone Hatzlacha rabba!!
hay you all forgot to mention the great kiddush club (katsoff, kopperman, slavin, heartz, jacobson) who come for their shabbos meals and ad so much to the shul.
I used to love coming to Maple St. Shul as a child. It was small and heimish and everyone felt needed and part of the Shul community. I wish you much hatzlacha.
Mordechai Lowenstein served proudly as Maple St. Shul’s Gabbai for many years. Thank you to all the people who have made Maple St. Shul the warm and special place it is. Rabbi Levitin OB”M, Eli, Karp, Slavin, Slater, Lowenstein and so many others.
Eli without you there would be nothing…we really appreciate all you do and the total dedication you have to your shlichus.
the rebbe knew only you could do it
Thanks to Eli who puts so much effort in the Shul
Eli your the best your the shulwith out u no shulkeep it up till moshiach
Eli we love u… did u get my paypal for the Kiddush?
To help Eli keep it up tje shul please go
http://www.maplestreetshul.com and donate today.
Every dollar helps…
Eli your the best your the shulwith out u no shulkeep it up till moshiach
lol impressive,good 2 see your father on col twice in 1 week!
yours truly,
guess and call me wen u find out.