Maine
Where America meets the sun.
Portland · Augusta · Bar Harbor · Acadia · Lubec
The Journey
Making our way into Maine, we started in Portland. The beautiful coastal city, with its lighthouses, cobblestone streets, cafés, and seafood, immediately made us feel at home. We went sailing at sunset and enjoyed the beautiful shoreline and views from the water.
From there, we made our way to Poland, where we visited Poland Spring, saw where the famous water brand began, and naturally picked up some bottles while we were there. The girls loved it.
We then visited Augusta and its unique State Capitol, where we strolled the grounds and took in the beauty of the nearby Kennebec River.
Then came Bar Harbor and magnificent Acadia National Park. We woke up around 4:40 in the morning and made our way up Cadillac Mountain for sunrise. Standing in first place in the country to see the rising sun over the Atlantic from those granite rocks was magical. We played with the stones, tried balancing them, and watched the golden light create beautiful silhouettes of us against the rocks.
The forests were just as beautiful. Dark green spruce and fir trees seemed to cover everything, sometimes running almost straight into the rocky Atlantic coastline.
We continued east to West Quoddy Head in Lubec, the easternmost point of the contiguous United States. Standing there, looking out over the Atlantic, we whispered a prayer for the country we love.
The farther north we drove, the more the roads opened up, the towns became smaller, and the Atlantic seemed to be part of everything around us.
Jewish Maine
Our journey through Jewish Maine took us into places that carried generations of Jewish life.
In Bangor, we visited Congregation Beth Israel, Maine’s oldest continuously operating Jewish congregation, organized in 1888. Finding such an established synagogue this far north was already meaningful.
In Portland, we spent time at the Maine Jewish Museum, housed inside the beautifully restored Etz Chaim Synagogue. We walked through the Jewish art and history exhibits, and I had a wonderful philosophical conversation with the rabbi about Jewish life in Maine.
One of the most emotional stops came on Newbury Street, at the former Shaarey Tphiloh Synagogue. The congregation has long since moved, and the old building is now used for offices and residences, but much of its original character remains. We met the current owner, who graciously showed us around, including remnants of the old mikveh in the basement. We said a prayer for the sacredness the building once carried and thanked him for preserving its history with such respect.
We also visited the Jewish cemetery on Smith Street and the grave of Rabbi Chaim Shohet, one of the important early rabbis of Portland’s Orthodox community.
Jewish Maine is small and spread out, but going from Bangor to Portland and tracing these old buildings, graves, and communities made its history feel very much alive.
What Stayed With Me
What stayed with me about Maine were the beautiful family moments.
We woke up at 4:40 in the morning to watch the sunrise at Acadia. That morning will always stay with me. The golden sun, the stones kissed by its light, our silhouettes against the granite, and the girls dancing as the sun rose over the Atlantic. Acadia will always be one of those magical places I carry with me.
I will also always remember a very sweet couple we met in Lubec, both in their mid eighties, out riding their bikes. We asked them the secret to staying so healthy at their age.
Their answer was simple: have fun, make memories, and work out whenever you get the chance.
We were already making the memories. That little conversation made me appreciate them even more.
Have a story, an idea, or a reason to connect?
For editorial inquiries, media, speaking, collaborations, historical research, or simply a story you think I should know I'd be glad to hear from you.
Contact Dov