“We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.”
Kofi Annan
Congregation Etz Chaim
Congregation Etz Chaim was founded about 1906 in a former Episcopalian Church at 36 Bacon Street in Biddeford, Maine. It was the first Jewish Synagogue in the Biddeford-Saco area. The name “Etz Chaim” is Hebrew for “Tree of Life”
In the 1950’s more than 125 families were served there, but membership dropped with time. A resurgence occurred when member, Arnold Shapiro of Biddeford, became president in 1980. Mr. Shapiro founded the York County Jewish Community Council which attracted many families from throughout York County. The congregation became less conservative and there were over 250 families from York County attending services.
Congregation Etz Chaim is now a non-denominational synagogue with a flourishing community. Some of their services include Shabbat Morning Services, High Holiday services, a Hebrew School, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Training, Adult Ed and Community Programming and the Samuel Osher Memorial Library.
The Samuel Osher Memorial Library (library@etzchaimme.org) was founded in 1998 in collaboration with the York County Jewish Community Council and named in honor of a staunch supporter and member of the congregation, Samuel Osher.
A Century of Jewish Life in Biddeford-Saco
Jennie Aranovitch is a fourth generation member of the Jewish community in Biddeford-Saco. In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Congregation, she curated an exhibit shown at Dyer Library called, ” A Century of Jewish Life in Biddeford-Saco”.
The exhibit covered six topics regarding a century of Jewish life in the area: the Synagogue, education, Jewish immigration, community life, business and national organizations.
Learn about the culture, heritage and family life the Jewish community. Hear their struggles, how they came to be here and celebrate their significant contributions to the community and country at large.
St. Andre's Church
St. Andre’s Church was Biddeford’s third Catholic church and founded in 1899 as a result of the growing French-Canadian community.
The founding pastor was the Reverend Father Louis Bergeron. The construction began on the church and rectory in 1899.
Bishop Walsh of the diocese of Portland blessed the Church on June of 1910 in a special ceremony. The 75th anniversary mass was celebrated on December 1st 1974 by Reverend Edward C. O’Leary, Bishop of Portland.
St. Andre’s Parish merged into Good Shepherd Parish on July 1st, 2008, and the church was closed with the last mass on New Years Eve, 2010.
In 2015, the church, rectory, convent and school were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The church complex is currently being renovated as part of a project appropriately called “ Mission Hill”. Every effort is being made to maintain the history, mission and character of the buildings.
The pictures show the church as it was being built, renovated and the current status of it in all it’s beauty.
