Intervale PDF Download

Located in the ravaged urban landscape of the South Bronx, the Intervale Jewish Center is the last synagogue still in regular use in a rapidly changing neighborhood. This unique congregation represents the struggle of individuals to maintain their dignity, independence, and faith over the years. In The Miracle of Intervale Avenue, Jack Kugelmass tells the inspiring story of a community that continues to see the area as its own, as a place they steadfastly refuse to abandon despite a major shift in the ethnic demography of the South Bronx and an increase in violent crime. The Miracle of Intervale Avenue is the story of Moishe Sacks, the Intervale Jewish Center's charismatic leader, acting rabbi, master baker, and storyteller. But it is also the larger story of a small community of primarily elderly Jews and of the human quest for meaning in the face of death. A classic ethnography of American Jewish life, The Miracle of Intervale Avenue has now been brought up to date. In a new closing chapter and epilogue, Kugelmass shows how the congregation has adapted to the radical changes in the neighborhood, bringing closure to this poignant work. Now with 38 photographs of the community over the years, the book covers the slow economic resurgence of the South Bronx and discusses the revitalizing effect of the congregation's new members, including blacks and Latinos.