Adat Chaim Congregation in Owings Mills is getting ready to begin the celebration of its 40th anniversary with a concert on June 26 that will bring a klezmer and Yiddish ensemble to the synagogue.
The concert and anniversary celebrations are meant to recognize the legacy of the congregation while also serving as a call to the larger Baltimore Jewish community that Adat Chaim is still active and engaged, according to synagogue president Cathy Litofsky.
“It’s important, coming together for good things, especially with everything else going on across the country and around the world,” Litofsky said. “It’s time to celebrate. And we hope to be able to celebrate together.”
Litofsky said that the congregation was incorporated on Oct. 17, 1985, and developed out of a merger of two synagogues that needed a new name.
She added that this upcoming concert is the first part of a multi-month celebration of the anniversary year that the synagogue is currently planning, along with another music-driven event and a dinner close to the official anniversary.
“What I am envisioning is I’m looking at bringing in two or three other musical groups [to the congregation]. I’m working on getting a jazz group and possibly get a folk singer over the next six to nine months so that we can continue the celebration,” Litofsky said.
“And we are in the planning stages right now for a big event in the fall. [It will be] a sit-down dinner bringing past and current members together in the community to celebrate our history.”
Litofsky said that the decision to focus two events on music was due to the fact that Rabbi Ilan Glazer is musically inclined.
For the upcoming concert, Glazer put the congregation in touch with renowned pianist Dr. Hankus Netsky, clarinetist Itay Dayan and vocalist Cantor Susanne Katchko, who have all performed together in the past, according to Litofsky.
Litofsky added that Netsky was already going to be in the area for a conference that week and it made for the perfect opportunity for a performance at the anniversary celebration.
“It just made sense that we could kick off [the year of celebration] with some wonderful music. It is going to be a klezmer and Yiddish ensemble that’s playing a variety of Yiddish and klezmer music that evening. And this is sort of a kickoff, but also a fundraiser for the synagogue,” Litofsky said.
Litofsky said that the congregation is working on securing partnerships with several local organizations for this event in the spirit of building community, something she considers especially important in today’s climate.
And celebrating the anniversary is important to Litofsky, who cited her upbringing in New York for instilling the value of synagogue and Jewish tradition from a young age, which has carried through to her dedication to the synagogue today.
“My heart and soul are here because of my upbringing, and the importance of being involved in the Jewish community in a synagogue is part of my everyday life,” Litofsky said.
For the synagogue, the anniversary celebration and its promotion is important for maintaining relevancy and recognition in the wider Baltimore Jewish community as a small but active shul.
Litfosky referred to the synagogue as “the little shul that could,” emphasizing the connectedness of the members and the consistent support they provide each other.
She said that she gets asked sometimes by people in Baltimore if Adat Chaim is still active, and she is always emphatic in saying “yes we are.”
“Our big thing with our celebration is reminding the Baltimore community that we are still here,” Litofsky said. “Although we are small, our concern is still the community, Jewish and non-Jewish. We do support a lot of other organizations, by doing service for them, and I think that the more we can get our name out there and remind people that we are still here is very helpful.”
