PHOTO: From left, Tivon and Kimi Feuer conduct repairs on Congregation Kesser Israel's sign Thursday, Sept. 21. (Courtesy Congregation Kesser Israel)

By ROCKNE ROLL
The Jewish Review
When Congregation Kesser Israel moved to their current home, there was nothing on the outside of their building to indicate that the Orthodox synagogue had set up shop. That was where Yak Feuer z”l came in.
Years later, his son and grandson have helped to renovate the distinctive sign, returning it to its former glory. Leslie Elder, who joined Kesser Israel eight years ago, explained that Feuer wanted to give something to the congregation for their new home. The Feuer family had been members of the shul at its former Meade Street location in South Portland, and Yak was an experienced metal worker whose art work is still prized around Portland. 
“He volunteered to make this sign, he created this Kessler Israel sign that’s up there now with the logo,” Elder explained. “It’s very nice.”
But it had seen better days. Much of the finish had come off, and rust had started to settle in on parts of the lettering. The removal of a large tree on the west side of the building made the sign more visible, accentuating the need for repair work. 
The Feuer family were once again brought in, but this time it was Kimi, Yak’s son, and his son, Tivon, who helped Yak install the original. 
“It had some of the coating that was on the letters degraded and flaked off, and there was rust and and things like that,” Kimi explained. 
While Kesser Israel provided the materials, Kimi and Tivon, along with Avraham Schwartz, another former member from Meade Street who has since made aliyah to Israel, donated their time to make the repairs.
“They want to make sure that it looks good,” Elder said. “I just thought it was a really beautiful thing.”
“We were glad to do the work and keep the sign up, restore it to the original way that it was when my father first envisioned it,” Feuer said. “It is not just a sign, it’s also artistic endeavor.”
With the rust removed and a new protective finish applied, the polished metal sign shines once more, as Yak Feuer intended. 
“I think that’s kind of how Jewish people look out,  kind of like a light on the world, shining out,” Kimi Feuer said. “I think my father wanted to convey that with the shiny sign especially in Portland where it’s raining all the time.”