And with stroke of a few pens, it was over! The closing documents were signed, the checks issued, and Kehillat Bet Hamidrash/Kempsville Conservative Synagogue (KBH) was officially a congregation without a building – yet with a new endowment fund.
After months of cleaning, sorting, and donating nearly 50 years of accumulated items, KBH has entered the next stage of its journey as a Conservative synagogue in Tidewater. Centrally located in shared space on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community and no longer burdened by the responsibility of maintaining a building, synagogue members are refocused on their core mission of religious observance and fellowship.
Since moving to the campus, membership has grown, Shabbat morning attendance has increased, more members are taking part in leading services, and new monthly programs for children are in place. Kiddush luncheons continue each week, with members lingering to talk and connect after services. Even the prayers seem to sound better.
Although KBH meets in the warm,
multi-use Fleischmann Lounge, members look forward to celebrating events and activities throughout the campus – from Shabbat dinners to outdoor services. Each Shabbat morning, the congregation is surrounded by meaningful reminders of its history: beloved works of art and the Tree of Life adorn the walls, the new ark for the Torah scrolls features a familiar parochet, and the Ner Tamid has been thoughtfully reimagined from the previous one. Soon the memorial plaques will find a new home on newly created yartzheit boards.
KBH is proud to be part of Tidewater’s Jewish community and delighted to be a religious presence on the Sandler Family Campus. With a focus on community and the Jewish future, KBH is also honored to have a place within the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Selling the building was not a move backward – it was a step forward.
Services are held each Shabbat morning at 10 am. All are welcome. Bring identification for campus security. For more information, email kbhsynagogue@gmail.com or visit kbhsynagogue.org.