Two student Rabbis are retracing footsteps of a North Dakota ancestor.

FARGO — Rabbi Benjamin Papermaster dedicated his life to serving the Jewish community in Grand Forks in 1891.

The legacy he left behind has led his great-great-grandson Meyer Orenstein to visit different cities in North Dakota and Central Minnesota for two weeks.

Along his journey, he is bringing his friend Levi Shusterman to meet with local Jews and learn about North Dakota’s Jewish stories and experiences.

“This year is special because once every 7 years Jews are supposed to gather,” Orenstein said. “This year, the year of Hakhel, which is we still have this concept of meeting with people and gathering together and strengthening our commitment to ourselves and to each other.”

“When all the Jewish people lived in the land of Israel, when the holy temple was built, it was a commandment from God that every seven years all the Jewish people — men, women and children — would gather in the temple as one and hear words of inspiration from the king,” he said.

The rabbis will also be sharing special articles, clothing and house decorations that Jews here may not have access to.

My name is Anne Sara, better known as Sara.
I was born an only child in Port-au-prince, Haiti and moved to the U.S at the age of 2.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is where I was raised.
After graduating with my bachelor degree at Albright College, I moved to Florida to continue my studies.
WDAY is the reason why I moved to North Dakota.