Congregation Agudas Achim is a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

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 the Northwest Hills neighborhood of

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

History

Agudas Achim (Community of Brothers) was founded in 1914 by a group of

Orthodox Jews Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Jewish theology, Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Or ...

who met for prayer in private homes. It was chartered in 1924 and occupied leased space before erecting a brick synagogue at 909 San Jacinto. The Agudas Achim Cemetery in Austin Memorial Park on Hancock Road was purchased in 1933. The congregation joined the

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is the major congregational organization of Conservative Judaism in North America, and the largest Conservative Jewish communal body in the world. USCJ closely works with the Rabbinical Assembly, ...

in 1948. The congregation moved to a new building on Bull Creek Road, dedicated on December 30, 1963. U.S. Vice President

Lyndon Baines Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

was scheduled to the dedication, which was postponed while the congregation joined the nation in mourning the death of U.S. President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

. At the dedication, Jim Novy spoke about President Johnson's role in Operation Texas, a clandestine operation to use the power of the US government without formal sanction to help Eastern European Jews escape the Nazis. This is thought to have made the congregation the second American synagogue dedicated by a President. The first was the

Washington Hebrew Congregation Washington Hebrew Congregation (WHC) is a Reform Jewish synagogue in Washington, D.C. Washington Hebrew Congregation is currently a member of the Union for Reform Judaism. It is one of the largest Reform congregations in the United States, with 2,7 ...

which has had cornerstones laid or buildings dedicated by Presidents McKinley, Truman and Eisenhower.History
, Synagogue website. Accessed March 27, 2009. The undistinguished mid-century modern brick and glass building was renovated and upgraded in 1989. In 2001, the congregation dedicated a modern building designed by David Lake. The wood and stone sanctuary is bathed in natural light that enters via a skylight. The rusticated limestone walls resemble

Jerusalem stone Jerusalem stone (Hebrew: אבן ירושלמית; Arabic: حجر القدس) is a name applied to various types of pale limestone, Dolomite (rock), dolomite and Dolomite (rock), dolomitic limestone, common in and around Jerusalem that have been u ...

(both visually and geologically) but the stone, like the members of the congregation, is "proudly Texan".Henry and Daniel Stoltzman, ''Synagogue Architecture in America'', Images Publishing, Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia, pp. 236–9. The building is one of several religious institutions and community centers occupying the 40-acre

Dell Dell is an American based technology company. It develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services. Dell is owned by its parent company, Dell Technologies. Dell sells personal computers (PCs), servers, data ...

Jewish Community Campus in the Northwest Hills neighborhood of Austin. In 2018

Jen Taylor Friedman Jen Taylor Friedman is a '' soferet'' (Jewish ritual scribe). On September 9, 2007, she became the first woman known to have completed a Torah scroll. Taylor Friedman's ''sefer Torah'' was commissioned bUnited Hebrew Congregation a Reform temple in ...

completed the first full Torah written in Texas by a woman; the congregation had requested her to do it for them.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agudas Achim (Austin, Texas) Conservative synagogues in Texas Religious buildings and structures in Austin, Texas Jewish organizations established in 1914 1914 establishments in Texas Synagogues completed in 2001