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August 30, 2002
Richmond's newest synagogue
Ohr Emet members will use a rented a house as their temporary
home.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
The newest congregation in the Lower Mainland is preparing for
its first
High Holy Day season this September.
Congregation Ohr Emet was established just over seven weeks ago
when a group of Orthodox families in Richmond decided they wanted
to have another place to pray besides Eitz Chaim and Chabad of Richmond.
Ohr Emet's first board president, Paul Diamond, described his congregation,
which has grown to include more than 25 families, as an "energetic,
cross-sectional mix of members that are all very interested in the
shul and the community.
"Our short-term goal," he said, "is to have a place
where everyone felt comfortable and enjoyed going to daven daily,
weekly or monthly. Our long-term goal is to build a vibrant, energetic,
active, Orthodox community where people want to be involved in the
shul, want to contribute and want to be active."
Diamond said that in the short time they have been together, his
board has created a plan that guarantees fiscal survival and the
potential for growth.
"We are making sure that we budget ourselves and stay within
our means," he said. "We have a growth fund and at some
point down the road we would like to have our own building. We're
not putting a stake in the ground and saying it will be in one,
two or five years, but it's a goal."
Many of Ohr Emet's founders had previously been involved with Eitz
Chaim. They chose to create Ohr Emet because they did not agree
with the direction in which the majority of Eitz Chaim's membership
wanted the shul to go.
The new synagogue is located at 8500 Saunders Rd. in Richmond, which
is a house that has been rented as a temporary location for the
group. The shul's vice-president, Des Friedland, said they may soon
grow too large for the house. They are expecting approximately 100
people for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and are in the process of
finding a larger concert hall in Richmond to facilitate those services.
The new congregation holds Friday night services at 6:45 p.m. and
Saturday and Sunday morning services at 9 a.m. Weekday shacharit
is at 6:30 a.m. and weekday minchah and ma'ariv service is at 8:15
p.m.
For more information about Ohr Emet, or to make reservations for
the High Holy Day services, call Friedland at 604-689-8228 or Rob
Eichhorn at 604-828-2210.
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