Albany Hebrew School Rededicated After Fire

Click Here to watch a newscast of this event!

ALBANY, NY — A Hebrew Day School in Albany celebrates an important milestone on the seventh night of Chanukah. They overcame the destruction of irreplaceable pews at the hands of vandals over the summer. The dedication Monday represented a historic milestone in the history of this city’s Jewish community.

Chanukah is the 8 day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC. Rabbi Israel Rubin, the Dean of the school says no other time would be more appropriate for Monday’s ceremony

“Chanukah means dedication. Chanukah means education so we couldn’t have found a better time to celebrate the expansion and the educational and institutional programs at Maimonides Hebrew Day School,” said Rabbi Rubin.

For more than 20 years the Maimonides School had no permanent home, but it seemed almost predestined to find this building two years ago. In the 1930’s 40’s and 50’s the building was a synagogue and the Center of Jewish life in Albany. But then for decades it was home to a Christian Congregation. Among the dignitaries lighting the candles on the giant menorah was Assemblyman and Albany historian Jack McEneny.

“Not unlike the Jews that have wandered the world, when they come back to find a permanent home and settle permanently here even expand as you’ll see in the near future. They’ve returned to Jewish soil that was the first they built here,” he said.

The expansion continued even after a fire in a storage trailer last summer destroyed some historic pews of the original synagogue. Some were salvaged and with it important history.

“Many of the pews that were destroyed in the fire actually had stars of David engraved in them. So some of the grandchildren studying here today know their grandparents sat in those very pews,” said Rabbi Rubin.

And with a look to the future what better way to celebrate than with what is being called the first and only six foot robotic dreidel designed by an RPI student for the school.