WE ARE STILL HERE!
In September of 2012, Tifereth Israel Congregation of Winthrop was born.
Over a century later, in 2021, Temple Tifereth Israel of Winthrop continues to stand as a tribute to those who have gone
before us in establishing and maintaining a Jewish presence in the town of Winthrop. Our temple stands as a powerful reminder
that religious and ethnic intolerance, wherever and however practiced in America or elsewhere, cannot destroy that which is
good. Back in 2012-2013, there was a miniscule minority in Winthrop that opposed the renovation of our Jewish Temple and the
construction of the Chelsea Jewish Lifecare's affordable senior housing facility on the property of the Temple.
Those few resisted, protested and persistently complained from the inception of the project throughout its implementation.
They and an ignorant few who even vandalized the Temple during its renovation caused minor delays and created
additional work for those overseeing the project and those doing the actual work. But, in the end, those who have opposed
the project - for whatever their motivation - failed. Today our Temple is better than ever. Our resolve is as firm as ever.
We will not go away!
For thousands of years, there have been those who have tried to destroy the Jewish people – from the Biblical Amalek, to the
Greeks, the Romans, and the 20th century Nazis. Today, Jews are still being attacked by anti-Semites here in America and from
around the world. And there are those who rail against the Jewish State of Israel and, openly or covertly, desire the
elimination of that Jewish homeland and the sole democracy in the Middle-east where all religions are welcomed. But, just
like Haman in ancient Persia, those who would destroy the Jewish people have failed and they will continue to fail!
There is a Yiddish song titled the “The Partisans Song” which was adopted as the Jewish partisans’ official anthem in their
fight against Adolph Hitler’s virulent anti-Semitic Nazi regime in World War II. Inspired by the story of the Warsaw ghetto
uprising, the song remains a powerful tribute to the commitment of the Jewish people to fighting for their survival. The
translated lyrics of the song are reprinted below. In Yiddish, the first line of the song is: “Zog nit keynmol az du geyst
dem letstn veg”.
Never say that you are walking the final road,
Though leaden skies obscure blue days;
The hour we have been longing for will still come,
Our steps will drum – we are here!
From green palm-land to distant land of snow,
We arrive with our pain, with our sorrow,
And where a spurt of our blood has fallen,
There will sprout our strength, our courage.
The morning sun will tinge our today with gold,
And yesterday will vanish with the enemy,
But if the sun and the dawn are delayed –
Like a watchword this song will go from generation to generation.
This song is written with blood and not with lead,
It’s not a song about a bird that is free,
A people, between falling walls,
Sang this song with pistols in their hands.
So never say that you are walking the final road,
Though leaden skies obscure blue days.
The hour we have been longing for will still come –
Our steps will drum – we are here!
To hear the song sung in Yiddish, go to any of the following web sites:
http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/music/vilna_partisans_zog_nit_keyn_mol.asp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wgYnYSg3Zs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dZESa1NavU
So, in spite of the obstructions, hindrances, ill-will, and animosity of a few in our community – whatever their
motivations – our Temple renovation project was successfully completed and Winthrop has an affordable senior
housing facility to accommodate its senior citizens. We and Winthrop are both beneficiaries of the efforts of the
Temple, the Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, the project administrators, the project architects, and the construction team -
all of whom made a dream into a reality.
To paraphrase the final words of the The Partisans Song in this year of 2021:
TEMPLE TIFERETH ISRAEL IS STILL HERE!!!
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