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congregation
prefers in the way of a spiritual leader.You personally
also have a lot of experience judging people. I’m sure that you will choose the
right man.”
     “OK.
I will invite Reverend Martin and three other members to join me in the
interview. Time is so short that I would like to settle the matter by tomorrow
night. Do we have to go to the yeshiva, or can you bring the men to Dunberg?”
     Rabbi
Weiss was astute enough to know that synagogue search committees would not be
appreciated at the yeshiva and he already had sufficient problems with Rabbi
Kurland. “Don’t trouble yourself and the committee. I will bring the men out to
see you tomorrow night at 8:15 PM.”
     “That’s
fine. By the way, after we select the rabbi, do we negotiate his fee with the
yeshiva?”
    Rabbi
Weiss phrased the answer carefully. “The yeshiva is not a personnel agency and
will not retain any part of the salary. The men are mature enough to negotiate
by themselves and we very much prefer that they gain experience in this area.”
    “I
guess we can live with that,” Levine answered. “See you tomorrow night.” 
     
    The
car drove rapidly down the broad highway hugging the shore of the Allegheny
River. Rabbi and Mrs. Weiss were in the front seat and the two candidates were
in back. Rachel Weiss had left her five children in the care of a baby sitter
and insisted on going along. Given her husband’s intensive schedule and her own
domestic responsibilities, a drive to the suburbs was a rare luxury. Dunberg
wasn’t all that far away, about twenty miles south of Pittsburgh, but she
looked forward to seeing rich suburban homes and the people who lived in them.
    The
two boys were immersed in their own thoughts and hardly noticed the scenery
along the route. The first few miles were comprised by the riverfront industrial
development. After that, the American countryside began to unfold in all its summer
beauty. The remaining signs of the steel mills that gave birth to the area were
few and far between. There was still sufficient daylight to see large housing
developments and even some vestigial farmland. The highway skirted the downtown
areas of the cities but big shopping centers were clearly in view.
    Just
before 8 PM, Rabbi Weiss turned off the highway at Dunberg and drove through
the commercial area of the city. He pointed out the Telacomp Company to the
passengers and they were surprised at its appearance. It looked more like a
school building than a factory, rising three stories on a fairly narrow base. “The
shipping area is on the first floor and the executive offices are on the third.
The middle floor is for customer support and research.” The rabbi explained, “I’ve
only been here twice since I met Abe Levine. I usually see him at the buying
office he maintains in Pittsburgh. Both Dunberg congregations are located near
here. Beth Moshe was established long before World War Two, but Beth Israel is
only fifteen years old.”
    By
the time Rabbi Weiss finished his comments, he was turning into the synagogue
parking lot. The shul was a low brick building on a plot that was slightly
under an acre. The building itself occupied a corner of the lot and the parking
area surrounded the building on two sides. On the other side of the parking lot
was an older colonial home. As the group walked toward the entrance, the director
told them that the home belonged to the shul and that it was occupied in part
by the caretaker and his wife.
    Adler
and Pinkes had never seen a suburban synagogue and were surprised by its size. “You
mean that a shul for 200 families is this big?” Pinkes asked.
    “Wait
till you see Beth Moshe.” Rabbi Weiss answered. “This is comparatively small.”
    Two
men and a woman met the visitors as they entered the lobby. At the end of the
lobby were two sets of double doors leading into the main worship area. The lobby
itself was flanked by rooms on either side.
    “Welcome
to Beth Israel,” Abe Levine