Synagogue lays artifacts to rest in respectful burial

Members of Temple Hadar Israel in New Castle, Pa., gathered Sunday morning at Tifereth Israel Cemetery for a final ceremony in which they gave a respectful burial to the synagogue’s remaining prayer books, Torah-ark curtain and other ceremonial artifacts. The congregation, whose membership had been aging and decreasing, officially closed its doors at the end of 2017. Members held their last Shabbat service on Saturday at their synagogue before Sunday’s ceremony at the cemetery.