Rededication as renewal: A Shared Vision for the Future of Jewish Life in the Valley
By Rabbi Courtney Berman and Jason Bostocky, President of Congregation Ohev Beth Sholom
On the weekend of August 22 to 23, 2025, we had the extraordinary honor of rededicating our synagogue at 1119 Elm Street in Youngstown—a sacred space, built in 1914, that has been renewed in body and in spirit. After nearly a year of construction, our community gathered for Shabbat services and celebrations that marked not only the completion of physical renovations, but also a powerful moment of recommitment to the Jewish life we are building together in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys.
There is a reading we sometimes open with on Friday nights that begins:
“We enter this sanctuary to welcome Shabbat. Within these walls, we sit surrounded by numberless generations.”
That sentiment has never felt truer. Our renewed building stands on a foundation laid by those who came before us—visionaries, builders, teachers, and families whose stories shaped each corner of this sanctuary. At every step of this renovation, we worked to honor their legacy, even as we made vital updates for security, accessibility, and spiritual vibrancy.
We are proud to say that what we’ve created is more than a renovated space. It is a renewed home for all. Our state-of-the-art adjustable amud (podium) is not simply a technical upgrade, but a theological declaration: all belong here. Every individual, regardless of physical ability, is entitled to stand before the Torah, to be seen, to be honored, and to lead. We believe this is what it means to live out the truth that every person is created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God.
The Torah portion we read on this rededication Shabbat, Re’eh, offers us a challenge:
“Re’eh anochi noten lifneichem hayom bracha uklalah” – “See, I set before you today blessing and curse.” It does not say “hear” or “read”—it says “see.” With clarity and intention. That call
to see what is truly before us—to recognize both what we’ve inherited and what we must choose to build—guided this project from its first days.
Our building now includes a beautiful new elevator, modern social spaces, and a newly accessible outdoor gathering space—a literal and symbolic expansion of our welcome. But these improvements are not the end goal. Rather, they are the vessels through which community can thrive, where blessing is accessible, and where dignity is Non-negotiable.
We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude.
To the Securing Our Future Campaign Committee, led with extraordinary commitment by co-chairs Jason Bostocky and Booker Kessler: thank you for turning a dream into a reality. Your passion, persistence, and teamwork made this possible.
We especially recognize our
Honorary Chairs—Pam and Sam Bernstine, Elliot Legow, and Sam A. Roth—as well as Marc Rubin, our dedicated building chair.
Thank you to each committee member: Doug Abbitello, Hannah Anderson, Mark Huberman, Cari Immerman, Tod Newman, Anita Shapiro, Bob Rawl, Samie Winick, and Alex Zoldan. Your efforts will be remembered in the very bricks and beams of this building.
We also thank our board of trustees and executive committee, whose wisdom and oversight guided every major decision. And we are deeply grateful to our Sisterhood and Brotherhood, who prepared our Rededication Shabbat dinner and Saturday lunch with the warmth and generosity that define our community.
A special and heartfelt thanks goes to our professional staff—Jenny, Lindsay, and others—and most especially to Sarah Wilschek, our executive director, who shepherded this project through every phase. From coordinating contractors to keeping our programming vibrant during construction, Sarah’s leadership was indispensable. As a token of our gratitude, the congregation presented her with a tallit. This traditional garment embraces the wearer just as she has embraced this community with care and devotion.
This moment of rededication also honors the larger story of who we are. Congregation Ohev Beth Sholom is the proud result of a successful merger between three historic communities: Temple Beth Israel of Sharon, Ohev Tzedek of Boardman, and Rodef Sholom of Youngstown. Each brought with it generations of memories, traditions, and values. The strength of our community today is proof of the wisdom and courage it took to come together in unity and purpose.
We offer special thanks to the founding board of trustees, which ensured that the merger would lead not to compromise, but to growth. That merger—bold and forward-thinking—paved the way for everything we celebrated this weekend. And so, on this holy Shabbat, we rededicated not only a building, but ourselves. To the work of Jewish life. To learning, to justice, to compassion, and to community. Let this space be a place where children learn to love Torah, where generations gather to pray, and where every soul is welcomed with dignity and joy. May we continue, together, to go from strength to strength.