Rabbi Schecter, z"l
Rabbi Schecter, the Rabbi of B'nai Israel before Rabbi Bornstein passed away last week. I didn't know him very well, but I've heard a few stories about him, and just from what I know of his career, I can only surmise that he was a great man and a highly respected Talmud Chacham (Torah Scholar).

Over the next few days, I'd like to post some stories I've heard or experienced about Rabbi Schecter. If any of my readers have stories they'd like to submit, please send them. Here's what I know of his history with B'nai Israel. I'm not a math scholar, but I know that Rabbi Bornstein served as Rabbi for nearly 50 years, which means that Rabbi Schecter was here during a very formative time for the Shull. He was instrumental in the creation of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, a story which I'm sure sounds very similar to the formation of Toras Chaim many years later.  After Bnai, Rabbi Schecter went on to Ner Israel Yeshiva, where he raised funds and learned. 

This story always seemed a little humorous to me, but I'm going to tell it with a serious bend. It's short, but I think it says a lot about Rabbi Schecter and how deeply he maintained his connection to the Norfolk Community, even though he had been away so many years.

Rabbi Schecter would visit maybe once a year on his usual tour of duty collecting funds for Ner Israel. One such visit came several years ago. The board of B'nai Israel had just approved a plan to demolish all of the building except for the sanctuary and the minyon room behind it, in favor of building a new educational wing, social hall, kitchens, atrium and minyon room. It was a momentous moment for the Shull and the future looked bright. So much thought, time, effort, and energy had gone into it and I was so involved, that I just assumed the world knew about our plans.

The next week, Rabbi Schecter was in town. I arrived early for our Mincha minyon, and I was staring out the window of our old Minyon room when he walked up behind me. 

I turned, looked at him, grinned and gestured out the window.

"I can't believe we're finally going to tear it down."

A look of sadness crept onto his face.

"They're tearing it down?!"

I was stunned for a second. I didn't realize no one had told him about our plans. I stuttered a stumbled for a few seconds as I tried to explain that it was a good thing. New classrooms, an all new facility, and a level of excitement never before seen at Bnai Israel.

It didn't quite do the trick. I felt kind of bad, and years later after Rabbi Schecter's passing, the story re-emerged in my mind, demanding some mental resolution. I think I got it.

You see, as we tore down that building, I noticed something. There was a line in the bricks - the kind of line you'd see if the bricks had ended and then were added onto later. Rabbi Schecter was there when our "old" building was brand new. He left when it was still new. He must have had a vast storeroom of memories of kids learning in that education wing - the very education wing where the Hebrew Academy was founded. He must have had memories of the kitchens and the social hall in its original granduer. The promise of a new facility doesn't replace the loss felt by those who took pride in the old one.

The most beautiful piece of this story is that Rabbi Schecter felt that lose. His connection to the Shull was so strong, that even after 50 years, he still felt it was a part of him. He still looked upon it like his own child, and he felt a sense of responsibility towards its health. 

Today, as we mourn the loss of Rabbi Schecter, those of us with a deep connection to Bnai Israel should feel as though we've lost a family patriarch.