Congregation Ahavath Achim (

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus '' trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or ...

from

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

as "Brotherly Love") is a

Modern Orthodox Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosoph ...

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

congregation and

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

, located in Fairfield,

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, in the United States. Established as a congregation in 1904, the congregation's first synagogue building, located at 725 Hancock Avenue in

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

, was completed in 1926, vacated in the 1960s, and was subsequently used a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

. This former synagogue was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on May 11, 1995, as "West End Congregation--Achavath icAchim Synagogue", as part of a multiple property listing of fifteen historic synagogues in Connecticut.

History

Congregation Ahavath Achim was founded in Bridgeport in 1904, for the sizable

Hungarian Jewish The history of the Jews in Hungary dates back to at least the Kingdom of Hungary, with some records even predating the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895 CE by over 600 years. Written sources prove that Jewish communities lived i ...

community whose members settled primarily in the city's West End. They met in the homes of members until they were able to move to a more permanent location. The congregation was initially located on Cherry Street, that was destroyed by a fire in 1910 and subsequently rebuilt; then, in 1926, it moved to Hancock Avenue in Bridgeport. As the immigrants prospered in their new homeland, they decided to build a "magnificent structure

sing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

the most modern techniques, glorious stained-glass windows, a beautiful

Aron Ha-Kodesh A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Sefer Torah, Torah scrolls. History The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' ...

, a lovely, traditional bimah, Colonial pillars, a breath-taking landscaping development ... a gorgeous edifice that would evoke for a blessed generation the proud statement: 'This is ''my'' synagogue!'" The former synagogue building in Bridgeport was designed by

Leonard Asheim Leonard Asheim (1877–1961) was a Germany, German-United States, American Jewish architect from Connecticut. He was especially noted as an architect of schools. Born in Germany, Asheim later came to the United States, locating in Waterbury, Con ...

, and is a rare example of a

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...

and

Georgian Revival Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...

house of worship containing details such as a

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

with fluted columns and round arch

stained-glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows. and . The former Ahavath Achim synagogue building was one of fifteen Connecticut synagogues added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and 1996 in response to an unprecedented multiple submission, nominating nineteen synagogues. , this building was functioning as a

, owned and occupied by Iglesia Christiana El Buen Pastor. The congregation moved to Fairfield with the growth of the Jewish community there in the 1950s. Construction of the Stratfield Road synagogue took place from 1958 to 1963, and the building was dedicated in 1964. In 1985, the congregation merged with Congregation Adath Yeshurun. Renovations and additions to the synagogue building were made in 1995 in order to accommodate the growth of Hillel Academy, the community’s Jewish day school, which closed its doors in 2010 due to a low enrollment. In 2017, the congregation sold its Streatfield Road synagogue to a developer who plans to construct a three-story

assisted living An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is s ...

center on the redeveloped site. The congregation began using rented premises from late 2017.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1904 establishments in Connecticut 20th-century synagogues in the United States Buildings and structures in Bridgeport, Connecticut Colonial Revival architecture in Connecticut Colonial Revival synagogues Georgian Revival architecture in Connecticut Georgian Revival synagogues Hungarian-American culture in Connecticut Hungarian-Jewish culture in the United States Jewish organizations established in 1904 Modern Orthodox synagogues in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut Orthodox synagogues in Connecticut Synagogues completed in 1926 Synagogues completed in 1964 Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Synagogues in Connecticut

History

See also

References

External links