11 S: We're talking about the move of B'nai Israel congregation to Third and Silver Streets. W: The B'nai Israel changed to the Jacksonville Jewish Center, as it is now known. And this change of buildings was not really a bad change because, in my remembrance, the Conservative faction would pray in the upstairs sanctuary and the downstairs was to be dedicated to those who wished to follow pursuit of the Orthodox liturgy and ritual. I think they went along very well for quite some time, until the difference in prayers and the difference in what was taking place developed into personal factions, more than the difference in religious factions. At that time, the Orthodox group began to pull out. They were headed by Reverend Safer, and Reverend Safer had certain supporters and followers who were dissatisfied with meeting in the downstairs and they wanted to have their own services and follow through in the Orthodoxy, and he had several good financial supporters. At that time, coming into influence financially was a Mr. Morris Wolfson. You probably know of his sons: Mr. Lou Wolfson and Mr. Sam Wolfson. S: About what period is this? W: I don't know what period this was, but this was the early formation of Etz Chaim, the Orthodox synagogue. With the splintering away of this particular group, there became a snowballing of enthusiasm to establish an Orthodox synagogue. I don't remember when this was, but this was the nu- cleus, and they moved to West Sixth Street, between Main and Laura. They built a little structure and that is where they prayed until this same Mr. Nathan Dwoskin....He was a dedicated Jewish man and he was very anxious to help Jewish people. And he went out and found some property on University Boulevard which, at that time, was way out. And he picked it up for a song and he turned it over to the congregation, the same way as years earlier he had picked up the property where River Garden is. That was the beginning of Etz Chaim. Mr. Nathan Dwoskin was the one who found that property. Now that's the way that I remember the split, but I can't go into the politics of it or what took place. Maybe it was a question of mitzvah. Maybe it was the question of how to keep kosher in some way. I don't really know. Maybe it was the type of service-no English in the service, perhaps, is what they demanded. I couldn't tell you about that. But I know there was a splintering away. S: Sam, when did you start becoming active in synagogue activities? W: I'm not going to say that I was ever really extremely active, except in the search for new members and new officers in your congregation. What is better than to have a young struggling dentist to become an officer in the organization? So immediately you get to be secretary. The secretary meant you didn't take minutes as such, because someone else took the minutes, but your name was signed as secretary. I think I was secretary of the Jack- sonville Jewish Center for maybe ten years or so, but I don't recall too much happening. My closeness with the Jacksonville Jewish Center was primarily