Beth Abraham Orthodox Synagogue

Rabbi Yitzchok Isaac Yagod has a passion for out-of-town communities. He spent many happy childhood years in Syracuse, New York and always wondered why the community seemed to be "running out of people " for daily minyan. The community later grew and developed B"H but the early images combined with an inherited pioneering spirit from his family had the predicted results.

Rabbi Yagod has his roots from the first Shomer Shabbos families of Montreal.  Coming to Montreal a little after the turn of the 20th century, Rabbi Yagod's grandfather, Rav Yitzchok Isaac Yagod, ZT"L,  found a community with a hand full of Shomer Shabbos.  Montreal, at the time, was Jewishly like the small towns of America. Together with the other Shomer Shabbos families, his grandfather started the Nusach Ha'Ari Shul, United Talmud Torahs, and was instrumental in helping start the 1st religious youth group.

Rabbi Yagod learned in Torah Vodaas, Philadelphia, Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Brisk and Lakewood. Understanding that as a Rabbi he would need a deeper understanding of Sifrei Torah, Rabbi Yagod received his Kabbala for Safrus in 1979 from Badatz, Jerusalem.  He worked in Safrus for close to ten years.

In 1982, he received his first Semicha from Rav Shloime Leib Weinberger.  Rabbi Yagod continued to learn part time after receiving Semicha and began training in practical p'sak halacha towards  Yoreh Yoreh.

Rabbi Yagod did not want to burden anyone with his parnassah needs and was dedicated to supporting his family with "yegiyah kapayim" . He worked in electronics part time and migrated into computer repairs and networking . In 1988, he  received his B.Sc. in Computer Science from SUNY, NY and in 1997, his computer engineering certification.

In 1990-1993,  Rabbi Yagod learned part/most time in Kollel in Montreal. In early 1995, he received his full Yoreh-Yoreh p'sak Semicha from HaRav Hagaon R' Pinchus Hirschprung ZT"L

For the past ten years, Rabbi Yagod has been a Kashrus professional for major Kashrus organizations and has been a Chaver Beis Din for over eleven years.  He has also published three Kuntressim, Halachic essays, in all three volumes of the Sefer Nachalas Yitzchok.

Seven years ago, Rabbi Yagod became the Rabbi of Congregation Beth Avraham in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania  The Shul has subsequently moved to Palmer Township, Pennsylvania and services the entire Bethlehem-Easton area as the only Orthodox shul in the county.

With the ever increasing reality that small towns are struggling to keep their Shuls open and provide  Jewish life and Rabbinic guidance Rabbi felt that he must do something to help.  He traveled frequently to Maine for kashruth and caught the attention  of a local Rabbi who had previously served in Moncton, New Brunswick.   Rabbi Yagod became the Rabbi of a surprisingly large community in the province of New Brunswick which is on the eastern of Maine.

It did not take long until Rabbi Yagod caught the attention of the Bangor Shul president and was recently asked by Congregation Beth Abraham to become the “Rav Hakellilla” and the results are that Rabbi Yagod is now  the “Rav in three”  communities!

Rabbi Yitzchok I Yagod
Kashruth Hotline :(24x6) 610-905-2166/207-217-1094  or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Cong. Tiferes Israel-Moncton,Beth Abraham-Bangor,Beth Avraham-Easton

1840’S A handful of sphardic Jews were scattered throughout greater Bangor.

1849 Influx of several Jewish families from Germany. Ahavas Achim , the first Jewish congregation and cemetery was founded.

1856 The congregants moved away or assimilated.

1880’s Bangor became home to Jews who were escaping the Pogroms of Russia and Eastern Europe.

1888 The Beth Israel Society was founded.

1897 Cornerstone of the first shul in Maine was laid.

1897 to 1907 Influx of immigrants from Russia. They were determined to maintain an Orthodox way of life in Bangor.

1902 Ten men started Congregation Beth Abraham. Rooms were rented in house to devein on holidays.

1904 The largest immigration of Russian Jews arrived in Bangor due to the Russ-Japanese War and Jews refusal to serve in the Czar’s army.

1905 The house was too small too accommodate the members.

1907 The first “Russishe” Shul was established on Carr Street in a building built a few years earlier. The building was moved so that it faced east.

The men bought land on Mt. Hope Avenue

Congregation Beth Abraham has a well stocked library which was generously donated by the Striar Family.   The collection contains The Encyclopedia Judaica and hundreds of classic Jewish texts and prayer books.

The origin of “CHEVRA KADISHA” which literally means “holy society” stems from the Talmud some 1600 years ago. When a Jew in the community would die, it was the obligation and responsibility of each and everyone in the community to care for the deceased. With the formation of the CHEVRA KADISHA, however, the rest of the community became exempt, since the CHEVRA assumed the sole responsibility for preparing the deceased for the final resting place.

As years passed by it became the custom that children of the CHEVRA would replace their fathers as members of this society when their fathers passed away.

The CHEVRA KADISHA is also referred to as the “CHEVRAS G’MILUS CHESED VE’EMES,” the society that deals with kindness and truth for this is a true act of kindness since those who perform this duty do it without any ulterior motive.

Today in many cities the CHEVRA KADISHA has become somewhat commercialized. Here in Bangor, however, those women and men who are members of the CHEVRA still perform their most holy duty with “chesed shel-emes,”  “ a kindness of truth.”

Each spring, on the anniversary  of Moshe Rabenu’s death, members of Congregation Beth Abraham hold a community dinner to honor members of the CHEVRA KADISHA.

BETH ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE

145 York Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
Phone 207-947-0876
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www.jewishbangor.org