I remember Greenbelt in 1942, the small community in the midst of a forest at
the end of the trolley car line.  Greenbelt had about 7,000 residents and was
very clean and safe (no one locked his doors at night).  The frame houses were
built for people involved in war defense work, which qualified us; and we were
the first tenants in an apartment on Research Road.  Wondering whether there
were any Jews in town, we met Adelaide and Harry Weidberg and the son Bert -
who lived across the way.  Then we knew there were at least three more of us.
Harry and I would go berry picking at the water tower near the end of Ridge
Road.  In addition to the blueberries, he would often come back with poison
ivy!

I remembered the Jewish Community center (JCC) of Prince George's County before
it became Mishkan Torah.  We joined when it was first organized.  The JCC met
in the Center School where we had socials and dances, in addition to religious
services.  One year I was chairman of the Social Committee and also Youth Group
Leader.  I remember putting up the building.  Elliott Buzkin, who was president
before me, persuaded me to take that office.  I was chairman of the board and
president when the building went up to the windows.  Ben Rosenzweig was
president after me when the building rose to the wood sheathing on the roof.
He was also president during the time a $15,000 loan was made with Twin Pines
to finish the building.  Williams and Sines Company completed the roof and put
in the heating and air-conditioning.  Martin Bickford (then vice-president), a
surveyor, and I laid out the building from the plans on the wooded lot the
winter before construction.

I remember a Gentile watching us lay bricks.  He went back to his boss, a Mr.
Brown of the Aldon Construction company, and told him "Said some crazy Jewish
amateurs are trying to build a church in Greenbelt and are doing a terrible job
of it." One Sunday Mr.  Brown came out with all of his bricklayers and helped
put up all corners of the building - which give us a marvelous start.

There were about fifteen members who worked steadily several days a week on the
building for three to four years, but most every man, woman and child - too
numerous to mention - pitched in too.  It is impossible to mention everyone,
but I remember that Nat Shinderman was the boss driver and Jack Ratzkin the
chief foreman.  Ratzkin was the most knowledgeable amateur.  He also broke $5
levels (a lot of money in those days) in rage when the brick lines were not
straight!  Elliott Bukzin was one of our great builders.  Hy Gerson put in all
of the electricity.  Harry Weidberg was our chief schnorrer.  Mort Boroza was
our best brick layer.  If attendance had been taken, Norman Granims would be
found laying brick every day but Saturdays.  For the most part our work force
consisted of Government workers - chemists, lawyers, engineers, mathematicians,
etc.  - who had never had previous experience in building construction.  Mr.
Bell (eighty years young) was our only professional bricklayer - contributing
his services even though he had arthritic hands.

I remember Seymour Kaplan dragging several small sycamore trees from the woods
with which he lined the JCC path on Ridge Road.  They are still thriving and
beautiful today.

I remember the tree in the middle of the path of the entrance shielding us from
the sun during the hot summer months of construction, and the women bringing
jugs of lemonade and placing them in the shade of that tree.

I remember Dave Fisher and myself mixing bags and bags of cement and Dave
telling me of his experiences in a kibbutz in Palestine during the thirties.

I remember our children, Rachelle and Phyllis, also helping us mix mortar.  As
pre-schoolers they thought this was their private sandbox!

I remember "Help Build the Jewish Community Center Day" in Greenbelt, when the
ministers and their congregants united and came down to help.

I remember William Gichner giving us all the bricks.  What a miracle that was!
Also, William Gichner's father, who was called "the iron man," giving us all
the steel for the building.  I clinched that donation by telling him that the
quality of becoming rich was God- given, and rich people had the obligation to
make contributions to worthy causes.  I remember another non-Jewish bricklayer
laying all the interior blue-gray brick.  He called them "Jew bricks."

We were young and strong then, pioneers of the only synagogue in the United
States physically built by its members.  Now we are filled with great joy and
pride knowing that Mishkan Torah has thrived and that the "youngsters" have
taken over and expanded on our shoulders that which took place in the "olden
and golden days" over twenty-five years ago.