Adas Yoshuron’s building was purchased from the Advent Christian Church in 1912 by a handful of Jewish immigrants. The original congregation numbered 31 families. Membership fluctuated around 20 or fewer families in the 1930s through the late 1950s, and has recently grown to more than 100 memberships. Although the congregation was originally Orthodox, in 1975 it voted to become a Conservative synagogue. Then, in 2004, Adas Yoshuron hired its first full-time rabbi in more than 60 years, Rabbi Amita Jarmon. After spending almost five years with the congregation, Rabbi Jarmon moved to Israel in 2009 and Adas Yoshuron had a series of visiting rabbis, including Rabbi Natan Margalit, and several dedicated lay leaders. Rabbi Lily Solochek became the spiritual leader of Adas Yoshuron in August 2019 and left the congregation in January 2022. (Click About Adas Yoshuron for more information about our community.)
Hebrew School students, teachers and teachers’ assistants, 2001
Our volunteer community soup kitchen, since 1983
An exciting moment in our recent history was the production of a 100th-anniversary music CD, Songs of Life and Faith, a recording of our beloved Adas Yoshuron Synagogue Choir singing 19th-centuryJewish liturgical music that came to us through Hugo Weisgall. They were featured on Maine Public Radio (part 1 and part 2) and at a number of events in Maine (see Gift Shop to purchase a copy). Filmmaker and synagogue member David Berez captured the making of the choir’s CD in this video. Click the video below to see the short short film: