Family Stories: The Levison & Mirowitz Families

Everyone is Welcome

When Saul Mirowitz (z"l) helped establish Traditional Congregation 46 years ago, little did he know that his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren would all end up as members.  However, as his wife Barbara notes, “For Saul, it isn’t a synagogue without families; he didn’t want a place where adults and kids were separated.  If he were alive today to see Traditional Congregation, he’d be so pleased.”

Their daughter Marilyn has been a member of Traditional her entire life, and her experience here can be captured in a single word: embracing.  “From the second a family walks in, they’re embraced by people who genuinely want to know them.  Moreover, anyone who wants to learn more about being Jewish will not only find loads of opportunities, he’ll find loads of people happy to help him.  It’s never impersonal here.”

Before marrying Marty Levison, she urged her then-fiancé to visit Traditional, but he felt much trepidation.  “I came from a reform background, and frankly I thought Traditional intimidating.  From scuttlebutt I picked up, I thought only super-knowledgeable Jews attended it.  It took one visit for that stereotype to disappear.  I discovered people from all walks of Jewish life; in fact, there were a lot with exactly my background.  This was a great place for someone like me.”

Their son Matt echoes his family’s views.  “My young twins really love coming to Shabbat services.  The older kids have adopted them; it’s like they have a half dozen baby sitters.”  Marilyn amplifies this point: “It’s in keeping with what my dad and the other founders wanted: a place where everyone is welcomed immediately and no one is made to feel uncomfortable.  You can find a hundred different ways to get involved here.”

When asked about her fondest memories at Traditional, Marilyn needs no time to formulate an answer.  “At Traditional, anyone traveling receives a blessing from the rabbi to leave in peace and return in peace.  Both of my sons celebrated their bar mitzvahs here and in Israel.  As we stood to receive this blessing, I felt that we were bringing this synagogue with us to Israel.  Wherever we ended up in the world, Traditional would be with us.”  Barbara affirms this notion: “We hoped to create a place where all families could feel at home; I’m so happy to see that so many people have found a place where this home travels with them.”