Rabbi Elie Karfunkel struck a match and placed the flame over the candle wick.
“When I first lit these, I thought to myself, ‘You’ve finally come home,'” said Karfunkel.
The candlesticks came from the rubble of the Joslo Synagogue in Poland that was destroyed by the Nazis in 1939. Julius Erbe, who is not Jewish, was working with Jewish farmers in Joslo at the time.
After the synagogue was destroyed, a Jewish woman took the candle sticks and gave them to Erbe.
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“My father could be trusted with these candles and be in safe keeping,” said Julius’s son, 75-year-old Harold Erbe.
The Erbe family eventually settled in Vancouver. Julius died in 1973, leaving the candle sticks to his son Harold. Harold wanted to find a new home for them when he discovered that the likeness of the Joslo synagogue had been built in Toronto.
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“He could have sold them and used the money, but he didn’t. He held on to the promise and that’s magical,” said Karfunkel, reflecting on the devotion of Julius.
“He would be relieved. At least they found a great place in Toronto,” added Harold.
When the planning started for the Forest Hill Jewish Centre 10 years ago, there were many designs to choose from. Karfunkel said choosing to rebuild the Joslo synagogue seemed to make more sense today.
“So the candlesticks could find there way home,” he said.
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