On the cusp of its 75th anniversary, Shaare Tefila Congregation in Olney lost its remaining two charter members in 2025, including longtime member Sylvia Potash.
Potash, who turned 103 in April, died on Sept. 18. The Shaare Tefila community reflected on her legacy of kindness and decades of service.
“Everyone who came to synagogue on Shabbat knew her,” Rabbi Jonah Layman of Shaare Tefila said. “You couldn’t not know her because of how friendly she was.”
Born in Baltimore in 1922, Potash has seen the shul’s evolution through three location changes and played a pivotal role in its operations. She brought books and toys to keep the children occupied during services. Each week, Potash and her cousin would bring tea kettles to the old house where services were held, so that the men davening would stay warm on Shabbat.
Potash and her family regularly attended services and were involved in the shul’s Sisterhood and Men’s Club. At the original Riggs Park location, Potash came to Shaare Tefila on Thursdays to help prepare post-Shabbat meals for the congregation.
“She was a giver; no question about that,” longtime member Stan Kensky said.
“She and her husband, Joe, came to shul every Shabbat, so I knew her warm and friendly spirit,” Layman said.
“Shaare Tefila was the Potashes’ second home,” Deborah Brodie, Potash’s middle daughter, said.
“She attended practically every event throughout her life with her husband, and after he died,” Kensky added.
But the Silver Spring great-great-grandmother didn’t just show up; she would converse with members of all ages at Shaare Tefila gatherings.
“Children in our synagogue today have enjoyed their conversations with Sylvia,” Layman observed. “It’s just really lovely to see someone [of] Sylvia’s age engaging with an elementary school student or even a high school student.”
Potash began using a wheelchair around her centennial. When she was mobile, she would walk up to people at Kiddush and strike up conversations, befriending countless families. Intergenerational connections formed naturally.
“The children would just naturally gravitate towards her,” Layman said.
Potash received an outpouring of support at her funeral service between the Shaare Tefila community and her many relatives — she was a mother of three, grandmother of nine, great-grandmother of 39 and great-great-grandmother of 13.
“The beautiful thing about her funeral was that she had a large family, so at least a third of the maybe 70 people in attendance were members of the synagogue community,” Layman said.
Also in attendance were Shaare Tefila president Jeffrey Weiss, five or six past presidents and the custodian of Shaare Tefila.
“For somebody 103 to have that many people attend her funeral is quite the testament to her life,” Layman said. “That’s to attest to her impact on the synagogue community.”
Kensky drove Potash to and from Shaare Tefila in her later years.
“My wife and I patterned ourselves in a way after her, as well as our respective parents, where synagogue life was a big part of our lives and we participated in a lot of activities and contributed in giving back to the synagogue,” Kensky said.
He added that he tries to model Potash’s willingness to be an active part of synagogue life, such as “not saying no to any request that is reasonable,” participating in shul activities and ensuring that events are well attended and put together.
After Potash’s husband, Joe, died, the family donated a Torah cover in his honor. Potash’s name was added to it after her 100th birthday as a “perpetual reminder of her presence,” according to Layman.
“She lived a marvelous life to 103 years old,” Kensky said. “To me, that’s unbelievable, but I think it might’ve brought us closer together to realize that life is short and life is fragile, and that we as congregants group together.”
“I think the community is better because she taught by example of being a humble, kind, sweet, caring person,” Layman said. “She was a role model for how everyone in the community should behave towards each other and treat each other. That’s her legacy.”
