Congregation breaks ground on new synagogue to cheers of Mazel Tov, By Gerard Mundy Greenwood Lake As Bonnie Kessler dug the shovel into the ground of what will become the new B’nai Torah Synagogue in Greenwood Lake, she couldn’t help but hold her tears back. “I am so happy, thank you so much,” the president of the congregation said to the many who attended the early morning ground-breaking ceremony. The original house of worship on Old Dutch Hollow Road was destroyed in a fire in February 2004. The cause was faulty electrical wiring which destroyed the wooden structure as well as many of its sacred items. But the spirit of the congregation and its 200 members was not broken. “That day we cried but today we cry tears of joy,” Kessler said, standing on top of the earth where the new synagogue will rise. Along with the many congregation members who braved the chilly winds on this day of rebirth were local politicians, local ambulance volunteers and members of the fire department. Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt, R-C-Greenwood Lake, recalled “that sad February day.” But she added: “I’m proud to be at the ground-breaking.” Town of Warwick Justice Peter Barlet added: “This bright morning gives us new hope.” Rabbi Brenda Weinberg led the congregation in prayer and a sermon. “We are aptly named because we are the keepers of the Torah. When we lost our building, we continued services. We never lost out faith or our hope, because we are B’nai Torah,” she said. B’nai Torah translates to the keepers of the Torah. “God is smiling down on us,” the rabbi said. “This beautiful day was made for us.” Warwick Town Board member Floyd DeAngelo saw Sunday’s ceremony as symbolic: “This ground-breaking represents civilization. It is our links to the past. It’s a shining example of the members and family of the congregation and, to you, I say, Mazel Tov!’” Mike King of the Greenwood Lake Volunteer Ambulance Corps, which responded to the fire that day, said: “It’s our pleasure and our honor to be here today like we were that icy night.” After receiving an insurance settlement along with raising money through donations, the congregation, which has been using temporary space elsewhere, knew it was time to rebuild. “This marks, if not the first, one of the few times that I’ve seen a congregation rebuild. But it’s coming back,” said Greenwood Lake Mayor William Morris. Kessler referred to an old Yiddish passage to close her remarks: “Our tears are overflowing.” But this time, it’s a different type of tears. Photo by Mike Bousquet. Additional photographs can be viewed online at www.westmilfordmessenger.com