Chizuk Amuno Congregation is preparing to open and dedicate a redone courtyard space to provide the congregation with a place for music, celebrations, ceremonies and more.
The congregation will be dedicating the courtyard to the influential Attman family, which owns multiple businesses in Jewish Baltimore and donated the courtyard and a sukkah to be placed within it.
The Attman family legacy in Baltimore starts with Harry Attman, the first family member to move to Baltimore, coming from Russia in 1912 at the age of 20.
Harry founded the now-famous Attman’s Deli, which is one of the cornerstones of Jewish Baltimore today, spanning multiple locations across the area. Harry’s middle son, Seymour Attman, took over the business from his father, and the franchise is now run by Marc Attman, Harry’s grandson.
“Jewish Baltimore would not be the same that it is today without the Attman family. It just wouldn’t. There’s a handful of families that you could say that about, and there are few, if any, that have had the kind of lasting impact on the community, as the Attmans,” the synagogue’s head rabbi Joshua Gruenberg said.
Multiple family members are also members of Chizuk Amuno. Gruenberg said that the dedication will take place around Sukkot, an important holiday for the family.
Gruenberg added that, for generations, one of the Attmans has read the Haftorah on the first day of Sukkot.
“It really is the perfect time to be able to rededicate that space on a holiday that means so much to that family. And thematically, it fits into the whole idea of the holiday, of a sort of rebirth and renewal. So, it really provides the perfect backdrop,” Gruenberg said.
Four generations of Attmans will attend the dedication ceremony. The rabbi added that it’s incredible to see the level of engagement that the family has throughout Jewish Baltimore.
“If you look at The Associated, if you look at every Jewish organization that exists in Baltimore, there are members of this family that aren’t only involved but fully engaged,” Gruenberg said. “It’s really a family that, from their earliest roots when they came to Baltimore over 100 years ago, certainly, they had this unbelievable business life, but they’ve used that as a platform to be incredible builders of the people of Israel and of Jewish Baltimore.”
Gruenberg said that people are excited to be able to use the courtyard space again and to see the upgrades it received over the summer. The rabbi said the space has always had a lot of potential that hadn’t been realized.
“I think everyone recognizes what a beautiful potential it had. And it just brings about an excitement for Sukkot that is really nice,” Gruenberg said.
The changes include painting and landscaping, upgrading the sukkah and new lighting and wiring.
“It’ll be an unbelievable space. We’ll be able to do concerts, services, weddings and receptions out there. It’s a beautiful outdoor setting in the middle of our building that we just really have never quite fully taken advantage of, and now we’ll be able to do that,” Gruenberg said.
Gruenberg said construction represents a community seeking opportunities to expand and improve.
“We always believe in the idea that a synagogue that is renovating and under construction is a synagogue that’s growing. And so this, first and foremost, reflects the fact that we always have a need for space and especially really good outdoor space,” Gruenberg said.
And as the courtyard opening draws near, Gruenberg said excitement is growing. Congregants are ready to check out and utilize the new space for the first time.
“People have been seeing this in process all through the summer,” Gruenberg said.
