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<br />Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 2,2010
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<br />Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
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<br />Isaac Franco said he was the President of Temple B'Nai Zion for six years when it was both
<br />a Conservative Synagogue and an Orthodox Synagogue. He said he was insulted with what
<br />was said tonight, when he and his wife with their own two hands turned that Synagogue
<br />around to face east and they came to pray there. Irving Turetsky was the President for ten
<br />years immediately before him, and between them, they have a pretty good idea of what
<br />happened to Temple B 'Nai Zion. He heard a lot of anti-Semitic, and he wanted to note that
<br />most of the Commission here are Jewish and were members of Temple B'Nai Zion. He
<br />noted that the City of Net any a, Israel is a Sister City to the City of Sunny Isles Beach. While
<br />he was President, he had an excellent relationship with the City. The Memorial Tower was
<br />falling down in pieces while Mr. Turetsky was the President, and was given a quote of
<br />$25,000 to rebuild it or $10,000 to demolish it. That Memorial Tower made the Synagogue
<br />what it was, wherever you were you could see it, it was the only free standing Synagogue in
<br />the City of Sunny Isles Beach. One of the contractors came to him and said don't worry, I
<br />will fix it and it will cost you nothing, and they rebuilt that Tower at no cost. If they will take
<br />a look at the it they will find an electricity line, the Star has a sensor that lights up at night.
<br />He also noted that the Synagogue honored the Police and the Firefighters at a Friday night
<br />service because of the great job they do. When he was President, Code Enforcement came
<br />and visited him because of a caterer who was not paying attention and doing his job right, the
<br />condos across the way complained, he called Mayor Edelcup and the Mayor said that they
<br />have to abide like everyone else has to. When they changed the Synagogue around to face
<br />east, a new arc was built where it was facing east when they prayed, and there was no
<br />semblance of any kind of a cross there. Also, Holocaust survivors paid for plaques on the
<br />walls for their relatives who had passed away, and he asked Rabbi Lankrey to put those
<br />plaques back up on the walls for the members to remember their dearly departed.
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<br />Soritta Saltzstein is the daughter of Bess and Mitchell Robin, they paid for Temple B'Nai
<br />Zion with five other couples in 1977, they were the founding fathers, it was not only their
<br />spiritual home, but it was also their social, cultural, etc., before Anna Levin, her mother was
<br />the President of the Sisterhood for 12 years, and her father was on the Board. It was said
<br />here tonight that the Temple was provided for tourists which is false, it was provided for the
<br />couples who moved here in their retirement years. Sam Gasson said he worked in Temple
<br />B'Nai Zion for almost 20 years, he is a Holocaust survivor, and the only one left of his
<br />family. He worked as a volunteer, it was a second home to him, and now they took away the
<br />Synagogue. Marc Mogil spoke against the designation. Arnold Klein is in favor of the
<br />historic designation, as well as Bob Welsh.
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<br />Commissioner Goodman said he is a veteran of World War II, his father lost his family
<br />during the Holocaust. He retired and moved to Sunny Isles Beach 24 years ago, and was a
<br />member of Temple B'Nai Zion for a couple of years, but is no longer a member. The
<br />Temple belonged to the people but that has changed, people moved on, population changed,
<br />and they were having difficulties. The new people came in and wanted to take over the
<br />Temple, and raised the dues from $400 to $1,000. 13 years ago he lost his wife and he
<br />bought a memorial plaque and one for himself, every time he goes to the Temple, it is closed.
<br />It is the duty of the Synagogue to allow people to come in and light candles for their loved
<br />ones. Are the memorial boards still there, did you lease the Synagogue to other people?
<br />Where are the 5 Torahs? There was never a permit for you to build on that site.
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