A People, Not a Faith
As Maine Jews celebrate their new year, they are reembracing the past even as they confront the challenges of the present.
By Abby Zimet, photography by David A. Rodgers
The mood at Etz Chaim is haimishe -- a Yiddish term that translates roughly as snug, old-world, lived-in, like the dim house of a cherished grandmother. The downtown Portland synagogue needs work, but it feels like home. Upstairs, about fifty people mill and kibbitz and settle into battered wooden pews. Before them, majestic arched stained glass windows rise. The windows have been bricked over outside for years, a victim of time and neglect. But inside, they still cast a glow.The service, like those dating back to ancient times, begins with lighting the Sabbath candles.
