For example, New York is known not only for its size and its skyscrapers, but for its ethnic mixture. The town of Corning in upper New York is known for its beautiful glasswork; Niagara Falls for its wondrous and lovely Falls; New Haven, Conn. and Cambridge, Mass. for their old and revered universities; and Hartford, Conn, for being the insurance capital of the land.

Lubavitch and Ger in Europe became world famous for their great Chassidic Rebbes, and the little town of Radin in Poland became renowned because the sainted Chofetz Chayim lived there, built a great Yeshiva, and wrote immortal books there.

We are told in the Sidrah of this week that the city of Hebron in the Holy Land was also known as Kiryat Arba , "The City of Four," because of the four giants who once lived there, and the four couples who were buried there, namely: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. Hebron is forever sacred and imbedded in our hearts and memories because of these unusual men and women who lived a life dedicated to the service of God and man.

What is true about the fame of a city is equally true about a synagogue. Throughout the 50 years of existence, our beloved shule has earned an excellent reputation in the Jewish community because it has always made a valiant effort to live up to its inspiring name, Ahavath Israel , loving Israel, serving the cause of our people and endeavoring to promote the principles and ideas of all that the word Judaism conjures up in one's mind.