(Ed Note:) I'm going to go back to old ASVS carriage returns for this post series,
because I don't want to cause an endless line of text scrolling to the right for a lot
of you guys
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County. Some pertinent historical statistics:
In 1860, Montgomery County had a population of 18,322, including some 5,500 slaves and
1,500 free blacks. Maryland would remain a slave holding state until the Maryland Constitution of
1864 outlawed slavery on November 1, 1864.
Politically, voters in the county were split among the several candidates for President in the 1860
elections. Of the 2,400 votes cast in the county, 46% voted for John C. Breckinridge, Southern Democrat;
47% for John Bell of the Constitutional Union Party; 4% for Stephen A. Douglas, the Northern Democrat;
and, 2% (just 50 votes) for Republican Abraham Lincoln.
President Lincoln was still in disfavor four years later when he received 25% of the county's vote to 75% for
George B. McClellan.
We had segrated schools until 1952:
Link
Link 2
Public schooling was available for black children in the metropolitan area from 1872. However, students
could attend county schools, such as Rockville Colored Elementary School on North Washington Street, only up
to seventh grade. Then, if they could afford to do so, students went on to high school in the District of Columbia.
They had to ride the trolley or live with relatives in Washington during the week. The resources of black schools
were inferior to those of white schools. Black students learned from outdated books and attended a shorter school
year.
One of the most important educational landmarks in Montgomery County is Lincoln High School. It was the first
junior high school for blacks in the county and is the oldest high school built for black students still standing.
An abandoned building from Takoma Park was moved to the site, covered with brick, given an Art Deco door
surround, and opened as Lincoln High School in 1935. The first principal, Dr. Parlett Moore, headed a staff of
five teachers, who taught a general curriculum, with agricultural, vocational, and home economics courses. The
school provided an opportunity for young people from all over the County to meet.
In the late 1940's, Lincoln High bought surplus quonset huts from the Navy. Over the years, they served as a
gymnasium, an auditorium, and for other purposes. In 1950, Carver High School on Hungerford Drive replaced
Lincoln, which then became the only junior high in the county for black students.
I shall try to visit some of these remaining colored schools later on; but on to the photos of Rockville!
Civil War Trails
Because of Rockville's slight role in the Civil War, there are several Civil War Trails plaques
around the City Center:
This was placed in 1961-1965. Sorry for out of focus; but I'm still learning.
Rockville has not one, but
three courthouses in the city center!
Old Old Courthouse. This is the old Brick 1891 Courthouse. Was used until 1931 when....
Old Courthouse was constructed. There's a newer courthouse, but I didn't take any good shots of it.
Statue in front of 1891 Courthouse. Was put there in 1996.
Around the 1891 Courthouse, there are a variety of memorials/monuments:
Near the back of the courthouse, there is a 9/11 memorial; one of the first in the country to be dedicated:
There were flowers there because of the anniversary a few days prior.
There is a CSA monument there, as well.
Closeup of the Statue.
This is how they're laid out; you can see the CSA monument to the right, while the 9/11 monument is further down...
Further down Rockville Pike (the main throughfare for a lot of Montgomery County's development), you
can find some minor monuments.
Rockville Pike looking towards the city center (Tan towers in distance).
This is a very hard to find monument; I only found it because I rode my bike around a lot when I
didn't have a car 10~15 years ago.
Yes, that's the bridge.
A bit away from Rockville's city center, there's a synagogue named Beth Tikvat; it's right next
to Rockville High School, and what used to be the pool I went to as a kid. I visited it years ago
for the funeral of one of my friends. Inside is a very interesting historical artifact.
Torah at Beth Tikvat.
I took photos of the plaques on the display and here they are (thank you OCR software)
Once upon a time there was a Torah . . .
It was a beautiful, proud Torah, one of nine such scrolls. They all had their proper places in a dark
mahogany ark. Our Torah had been donated by a pious old woman and was written on the finest
parchment in big clear letters, and dressed in a lovely royal blue velvet coat. Two mighty lions adorned
the tablet with the Ten Commandments, embroidered in silver and gold.
Whenever the cantor raised the Torah towards the congregation she seemed to grow even taller,
almost majestic. The synagogue itself was considered one of the most stately buildings in Gablonz
(now Jablonec), a thriving, industrial town in Czechoslovakia. Thus, for years our Torah brought
knowledge and enjoyment, fulfilling its mission - "the more you study it, the more you love Judaism."
Until one day, not a Sabbath and not a Holy Day when the Torah was lifted hastily from the Ark,
along with all the others. The Holy scrolls were placed in small wooden boxes, two to a box. The
lid closed, a chapter of history was closed, and a dark, unhappy one began to unfold.
It was the time of the madman, of Hitler. This little town in Czechoslovakia was too close to the
border, and could be overrun by German troops. Thus it happened that one night in September 1938
an entire Jewish community, led by Rabbi George Vida, left their homes with only what they could
carry in their hands and on their backs - their goods and their Torahs.
The Rabbi's wife had parents and extended family in the United States, who urged them to emigrate
immediately. There was a quota, and then there was the problem of visas. Time was running out, and
visas took time to get.
Rabbi Vida decided to do something about one of the Torahs when it became clear that the visas
might take months to obtain. He lifted the one he had so often read out of its 'coffin', removed the
silver crown and the velvet coat, and wrapped it with a plain white sheet, like a child. The Torah was
bedded down in a long narrow trunk, as he recited prayers while tears streamed down his cheeks.
The trunk was closed and shipped to a warehouse in France marked "Destination, unknown".
For more than a year the chest with its sacred contents awaited the owner, along with other trunks
destined never to be reclaimed. Our Torah was one of the very few to survive The Holocaust.
Together with her Rabbi and his family, the Torah arrived safely in America in 1939. For many years
this Rabbi served as a chaplain in the United States Army.
Her beautiful synagogue in Czechoslovakia was burned, gone - destroyed during Kristallnacht. But
God in his infinite wisdom created another synagogue in the United States to take its place.
Twenty-seven years after that tragic day, her Rabbi took our Torah to a new home, one filled with
hope for the future - Beth Tikva.
This is the story - but is it true, you may ask?
Our Torah now rests in front of you, open to Lech Lecha, the last parsha read aloud before that tragic day.
Our Torah is now a memorial to those who perished and all that was lost during the Shoah.
May we never forget.
Mrs. Emmie Vida
....
Now the Lord said unto Abram: 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house.'
(Lech Lecha, Genesis 12:1 )
And in 1938, the Jews of Gablonz, Czechoslovakia, left their country, and their friends, and their homes.
Rabbi George Vida, with this Torah, founded a new house of hope, Beth Tikva.
Dedicated On November 11, 1995
19 Cheshvan 5756
Memorial Designed And Constructed By Allan Abrams
Israeli Bond Certificate from 1979 at Beth Tikvat.
Coming today......US NAVY YARD!
