I thank The Miami Herald for its Sept. 16 Beth David marks 100th New Year. Beth David had always been special to me and close to my family’s heart for several reasons. I had my bar mitzvah there, as did my siblings.
Growing up we spent most Sabbath mornings in the synagogue with my parents. We wanted to be good practicing Jews, but we also wanted to listen to the sermon delivered by my uncle, Rabbi Sol Landau. I was surprised to see that the article failed to mention him, for he was definitely the reason for Beth David’s so-called “golden years” mentioned.
He was the rabbi there from 1965-1981when the synagogue flourished. Although he retired as the rabbi emeritus, the congregation could not find a rabbi that appealed to the congregation as a whole and so they convinced Rabbi Landau to come out of retirement on two occasions — in 1985 and 1995 — to act as an interim rabbi.
The achievements of being the first conservative synagogue to give women full ritual rights in 1974 and the first Miami synagogue, in 1979, to elect a woman president were both “firsts” during my uncle’s tenure at Beth David. He passed away in 2004 and will always be remembered as a loving husband, father and a fantastic uncle. He was an incredible rabbi whom everyone needs to remember.
Jeffrey Glover, Sarasota
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