Puts out welcome mat to new congregants
With music, prayer, and community spirit, Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH), Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, has entered a new chapter in its nearly five-decade history
On Saturday, September 6, KBH held its first Shabbat service in its new home in the Fleischmann Lounge of the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community. Just two days earlier, on September 4, congregants and friends gathered for a celebratory procession to accompany KBH’s three Torah scrolls to the synagogue’s new location.
The festive Hachnasat Sefer Torah, the ritual welcoming of Torah scrolls, was a moment filled with joy, reverence, and gratitude. The scrolls were carried under a tallit serving as a chuppah, accompanied by lively klezmer music and the voices of participants joining together in song.
The procession included meaningful moments of honor and remembrance. At the Holocaust Torah case, originally built for the former KBH building but now situated near the campus Holocaust Memorial, Marge Schechner, whose family sponsored the acquisition of the Torah, and Ron Kaufman, a second-generation survivor, carried the scroll. Chazzan David Proser, who has led KBH for more than four decades, sang the memorial prayer for victims of the Holocaust before the group continued to the Fleischmann Lounge. There, new members Danny and Shikma Rubin were honored with the final carry of the Fine Torah, while Elyse and David Cardon carried the Segal Torah, representing the Susan Tapper and Nathan Segal family.
The ceremony featured the sounding of the shofar by Sam Epstein, the Shehecheyanu prayer led by Rona Proser, KBH co-president, and remarks from Marge Schechner, co-president and Betty Ann Levin, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater executive vice president. Levin emphasized the significance of this moment for KBH and the wider community. “The relocation of KBH is more than simply a change of address – it’s about continuity and growth. It’s about honoring the past while embracing the future. And it’s about the sacred work of building community, together.”
She then offered this prayer, “Bless this synagogue and all who enter its doors. May this space be filled with learning, laughter, prayer, and peace. May it be a place where all who come find comfort, feel welcome, and inspired. May the words of Torah be spoken here with love and may acts of kindness ripple outward. Bless our campus with unity and purpose. May we continue to build bridges, build community, and walk forward together in our shared faith. And let us all say: Amen.”
The program concluded with a prayer for the hostages in Israel and the singing of Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem.
The relocation marks a milestone in KBH’s long and dedicated journey of service to the Jewish community in Tidewater. Founded in 1978 through the merger of Kehillat Yisrael and Bet Hamidrash, the congregation began in storefronts and shared spaces before establishing its home on Providence Road in Virginia Beach. Over the decades, KBH has been guided by the steady leadership of Chazzan M. David Proser and enriched by visiting rabbis, rabbinical fellows, and partnerships with fellow Conservative congregations in the region.
Community has always been at the heart of KBH. In preparing for the move, the synagogue ensured that furnishings and supplies were donated to Toras Chaim, Temple Israel, the Sandler Family Campus, Strelitz International Academy Early Years, and a local nonprofit, further extending its spirit of generosity.
Now, on the Sandler Family Campus, KBH looks forward to continuing its mission as a welcoming spiritual home and a place of Jewish learning, worship, and community connection.
For more information about KBH services or membership, visit www.kbhsynagogue.org or email kbhsynagogue@gmail.com.
