In the mid-1950s, two residents of the first development in Green Spring Valley formed Greenspring Valley Synagogue and Center. Not long afterward, the synagogue took on the Hebrew name Ner Tamid and is now known as Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Synagogue.
According to the synagogue’s documented history, by the late 1960s, Ner Tamid became one of the largest Orthodox congregations in Baltimore. Rabbi Yisrael Motzen, who has served as Ner Tamid’s rabbi since 2013, said a typical High Holiday service in the 1960s and ‘70s drew over 1,000 attendees.
While its attendance may look a bit different today, the Orthodox synagogue is excited to be celebrating its 70th anniversary this month with a Book of Memories and gala event.
The Book of Memories will be filled with people’s recollections of the synagogue. On Nov. 16, members will gather to raise funds for the synagogue, making calls to members of the community. Those who donate will have the opportunity to contribute to the Book of Memories. Motzen says those who have already made donations are contributing old photos of the congregation and relatives who were members of the synagogue since its inception.
Then, on Nov. 23, Ner Tamid is hosting a celebration of its history, including a lecture and a display of the synagogue’s archives.
The first part of the celebration will feature renowned scholar Rabbi Meir Soloveichik discussing the future of Judaism in America. The second part will feature a massive display of the synagogue’s archives, including Ner Tamid’s handwritten constitution from the 1950s, old photos and videos of congregants, memorabilia, and even a shovel from the synagogue’s groundbreaking. The gala will also include music, food and drinks.
Motzen said the goal of the anniversary is to celebrate the synagogue’s accomplishments, one of which is its Montessori preschool.
When the synagogue first opened, it served as a hub for local Jewish life, and provided families an opportunity to give their children a Jewish education. However, trends changed within the Baltimore Orthodox community and Jewish day schools grew in popularity.
“The synagogue evolved in terms of its role [in the community],” said Motzen. “Currently, the role of the synagogue is considered to be the spiritual center of Jewish life, while there are many other places that people go to — whether it’s the Jewish schools or whether it’s different classes in different places, or it’s the [Jewish Community Center] — the synagogue kind of plays the role of an anchor.”
Ner Tamid then became the starting point for many different Jewish organizations such as Etz Chaim, Rabbi Zvi Dov Slanger’s yeshiva and even another synagogue, Derech Chaim, to utilize the unused classroom space that once held the synagogue’s Hebrew school.
“In the Orthodox world, there are so many synagogues that keep on opening up, and I think that’s a beautiful thing,” said Motzen. “I don’t see that as competition. I see that as a growth of the community and it’s beautiful.”
Today, with the help and enthusiasm from one of the shul’s congregants, the classrooms host the synagogue’s Montessori school, which Motzen said has full enrollment.
The shul has changed many times throughout the years. Like many synagogues in Baltimore, Ner Tamid went through a merger, joining with the Lubawitz Nusach Ari shul, also known as the Quantico Avenue Synagogue, in 1969.
Motzen explained that membership has fluctuated throughout the years, but Ner Tamid has been committed to providing a welcoming environment for anyone in the community.
“Many synagogues have a very particular niche. They’ll be able to cater to a particular age group or a very particular background,” Motzen said. “We realized early on that our synagogue was unique in the sense that it had such a diverse population and we recognize that for many people, that’s actually a draw.”
Motzen said that the synagogue is deliberate about its programming, sermons and online presence. He added that those efforts have created a welcoming place for people of all backgrounds.
“I’d like to believe our synagogue is a beautiful model of a place where people who have such diverse backgrounds are able to come together and connect and be able to see beyond those differences,” said Motzen. “I remember right after the last elections, there was probably one of our most staunchest Republicans and most staunchest Democrats in the synagogue the next morning for morning services, and after services, one of our staunch Republicans walked over to the [Democrat], and I was wondering, ‘What is he going to say?’”
“He basically put his hand around him, and he said, ‘Hope you’re doing OK.’ And that just spoke to the values that the synagogue has and the sense of community,” Motzen continued. “Yes, we might have our differences, but we’re able to come together. We have values that are able to guide us and bring us together as a community.”
He added, “We hope to build on this success. We think we have a great model and recipe, a place of in-person, authentic spiritual growth, that people could come and be themselves.”
