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| The congregation is housed in this small brick building in one of the oldest parts of the city. The text over the door reads, "May the doors of this synagogue be wide enough for all to enter." The building is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. |
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| Jerry and Hannah Meents are originally from the Netherlands; they met (quite by accident) on a streetcar in Amsterdam, married, and came to the U.S. in 1957. They have been in Ogden since that time except for a brief stint in Iowa. In addition to their close ties to Utah's Jewish community and contributions to Jewish life here, Zionism is also an extremely important part of their life. They recently returned from a Machel reunion where volunteers in the 1948 war to secure Israel's independence celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Jewish state. Jerry was one of over 3,000 of these orginal freedom fighters; about 800 were present for the reunion, which was highlighted by a beautiful ceremony at Yad Vashem and extensive touring around the country. By the way, Miep Gies, who served as the link to the outside world for Anne Frank and her family while they were in hiding, is Hannah's aunt. |
| I'm Joseph Ansel Hoisington.
I'm 13 years old and recently had my Bar Mitzvah. I like being a member
of Brith Sholem because it's like a family. The kids are cool, and I have
several friends in the congregation. This year I helped out at Brith Sholem's
Religious School, working with the younger kids as a TA and substitute
teacher. Another reason I like Brith Sholem is we do fun activities. Examples
are our Chanukkah parties and a day camp at Beus Pond. I also like our
Friday night potluck dinners. At potlucks the kids usually play soccer,
kickball or basketball.
Growing up Jewish in Ogden is interesting because I'm sort of unique. I am asked many questions about Judaism at school. It's fun to live in Ogden because of the Utah Jazz and the mountains right in your backyard, where you can hike, bike and ski. Ogden is also close to Hill Air Force Base, where there's an awesome museum if you're interested in planes like me. One of Brith Sholem's members is a retired Air Force Colonel. He helped to start the air museum and also a fun railroad museum in Union Station in Ogden. He's a terrific guy. |
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A wedding at Brith Sholem can mark the beginning (or middle) of something wonderful! |
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| The Amsels' story:
Eric and I moved to Ogden with our two young sons, David (now 13) and Daniel
(10), in 1996. We had been living in a small town about a half hour from
New York City for several years and were ready for a major change in our
lives. We were looking for a somewhat slower pace, and for more time with
each other instead of on the roads to or from our jobs. In addition, we
were seeking an environment that would encourage us to explore our Jewishness
more than we had in New York. Perhaps paradoxically, being surrounded by
so many Jews back there, it had been all too easy to "coast along" without
giving much real thought or energy to our religious life, and we didn't
want our children to grow up with a nonchalant attitude and minimal awareness
of what it means to be Jewish. Ogden quickly proved to be all that we had
hoped for, and more, and a large part of our satisfaction with the move
stems from the warm welcome we received at Congregation Brith Sholem. We
talked with a couple of members before we made our decision to come to
Utah and met many more within a few weeks of our arrival. We felt very
comfortable with these people; regardless of whether they were long-time
residents or as new to the area as we were, we found the other members
of the congregation eager for our input and participation. We have made
more friends among Ogden's Jewish community than we ever had in New York,
and--equally important--we feel our Jewish identity more strongly than
ever as a result of our active participation in the congregation.
(By Judi Amsel)
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