Dr. Herman J. Flax, one of the most loyal and dedicated financial backers of Tikvat Israel Congregation for more than two decades, passed away on April 26 at the age of 95.

Preferring to be called by his middle name Jacob, he joined what was then Beth Tikva in 1991 with his wife Melanie Grishman. They did so after hearing Cantor Rochelle Helzner perform at a Jewish Folk Arts Festival with her sister Robyn.

In the 21 years since, Jacob has become a major contributor to various and sundry causes at the synagogue, including the annual Chai Campaign. He provided a major gift to dedicate the resource library in the school wing, which now bears his name. He also purchased numerous books on Jewish themes for the library and donated his extensive personal collection. Until his health deteriorated in recent years, he was a regular at Friday morning minyan services.

Jacob and Melanie provided a major financial gift to Tikvat Israel's M'kom Torah Fund, then committed an additional $25,000 to make the sanctuary bimah accessible to all. The latter project had long been a personal cause for him. "Soon after Jacob joined TI", his wife recalls, "he delivered a D'var Torah that exhorted the congregation to make the bimah fully accessible." That goal came to fruition two years ago, enabling Jacob to be accompanied to the bimah by his wife for aliyahs.

"At the time he gave the D'var, I think Jacob was motivated from his professional background (he specialized in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) and the fact that the federal law had passed requiring facilities to have accessibility for the handicapped", Grishman recalled two years ago in an interview in the Tikvat Israel Bulletin. "Now he needs the accessibility for himself as well."

In 2009, Tikvat Israel honored Jacob as "Chattan Torah" on Simchat Torah. Literally "the groom of the Torah," the honor is accorded each year to a male TI member or staff member who has made major contributions to the synagogue's spiritual, educational and or cultural life.

Jacob retired in 1994 from the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Washington, D.C., as an administrator. Earlier, he served at the VA Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he also operated a private practice in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He was a native of Richmond, Va..

Survivors, in addition to wife Melanie, are a son, a sister, a brother, a grandson, great-grandson, step-daughter and her two children.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Tikvat Israel Congregation.

Services were held in the Tikvat Israel sanctuary at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, with interment following at Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney. His family is observing shiva at his former residence until Wednesday, May 2.

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	Tikvat Israel Congregation 2200 Baltimore Road · Rockville, Maryland 20851 Phone: (301) 762-7338 · Fax: (301) 424-4399 · Send us an email!
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