Upon entering the Etz Hayim Synagogue, which services the area from Derry, it is a welcoming and inclusive space for people of all religions and backgrounds. Rabbi Peter Levy has a presence about him that is undeniably friendly and intelligent, and he is passionate about his role and his community. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to ascend the stairs of the building’s bema, as he uses a wheelchair due to multiple sclerosis. The bema is currently the only part of the building that is not accessible for all, and the synagogue is looking to change that by building a ramp.
Dina Chaitowitz, the synagogue’s President of the Board of Directors, started a Go Fund Me donation page back in April to help get the project started, and the congregation’s Building Committee has even offered to build the ramp. Over $200 has been raised so far thanks to various donors, but more money is still needed in order for the synagogue to become accessible to all of its guests during events and religious services.
In the four years that Rabbi Levy has been at the synagogue, the only addition to the bema that has been made to increase accessibility was two years ago, when a set of railings was installed. He explained that he wasn’t the first to use them, and that congregation members who are not in wheelchairs are in need of the ramp as well.
“Grandparents are often unable to come up the bema during Bar and Bat Mitzvahs services,” explained Rabbi Levy. “People are living longer now and are more functional in their communities, so we’re trying to make the space available for everyone.”
Members of this congregation hail not only from Derry, but surrounding communities such as Nashua, Salem, Hampstead, Chester, and more. In partnership with the Church Of Transfiguration next door, the synagogue works hard to serve the community at large, as Derry is a large interfaith community. Each month, their Elijah’s Table program provides a free hot meal for everyone in attendance, regardless of their faith.
“I don’t think people realize all that we do,” said Rabbi Levy. “People may not realize we’re here, but they would realize if we weren’t.”
The New England Dance Academy recently performed “A Child’s View of the Holocaust” at the synagogue, and Chaitowitz explained that if a performer had been in a wheelchair or had other mobility limitations, he or she would not have been able to make it onto the bema — they use this space as a stage when guests speak or perform.
“We have a lot of guest lecturers as a part of our educational programs,” she said, “ and not having an accessible space limits our ability to invite certain speakers.”
Rabbi Levy emphasized that building the ramp will simply make the space “more inclusive, open, and welcoming. Sacred spaces should be open and accessible to everyone.”
Other than the Go Fund Me donation page, there have been no official fundraisers for the building of the ramp. Congregants can realistically only donate so much, and the fundraisers that they do hold help to benefit the synagogue as a whole.
“I’d love for it to be built tomorrow!” said Rabbi Levy. “As soon as possible.” In order to make increased accessibility a reality, the synagogue will need help from the community it so proudly serves. To donate to the Etz Hayim Synagogue’s Go Fund Me page, visit www.gofundme.com/weneedaramp, or contact the synagogue directly at 603-432-0004.