Congregation Schara Tzedeck is an

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

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 ...

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. A place of worship in Greater Vancouver, it is the oldest synagogue and the largest Orthodox synagogue in the city. Its name is

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 ...

for "Gates of Righteousness". Founded in 1907, it was originally known as "Benei Yehuda" and was located at East Pender Street at Heatley Street in the Strathcona neighbourhood, then the focus of the city's Jewish community. Francis George Gardiner, architect's drawings of the Schara Tzedeck synagogue, circa 1920 are at Vancouver City Archives. Its present rabbi is Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt. Congregation Schara Tzedeck celebrated its centennial in 2007. The congregation has a diverse membership, with many multi-generational families and long-time members. It is located at 3476 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC. Notable members included

David Oppenheimer David Oppenheimer (January 1, 1834 – December 31, 1897) was a successful entrepreneur, the second mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, and a National Historic Person of Canada. Early life David Oppenheimer was born in Blieskastel, then in the ...

, entrepreneur and second

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, who donated the land for the original site. The synagogue holds daily prayer services, and has numerous

educational Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

and social programs for children and youth, men, women, families, and seniors. Examples include weekly adult education classes, youth events, Bar/Bat Mitzvah classes, guest lectures,

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...

dinners, and

holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...

programming. A

mikveh Mikveh or mikvah (, ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or (Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity. Most forms of ritual impurity can be purif ...

is located on-site. The Vancouver chapter of

NCSY NCSY (formerly known as the National Conference of Synagogue Youth) is a Jewish youth group under the auspices of the Orthodox Union. Its operations include Jewish-inspired after-school programs; summer programs in Israel, Europe, and the United S ...

operates out of the synagogue. Congregation Schara Tzedeck is affiliated with the

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for ...

History

The congregation was founded in 1907 as "Benei Yehuda", which can be translated as Children (Sons) of Judah. The first synagogue building was erected at Pender Street and Heatley Avenue in 1911. The congregation was legally incorporated on June 14, 1917 under a newly chosen name, "Schara Tzedeck", which means Gates of Righteousness. A new larger building was completed in September 1947, located in the South Cambie neighbourhood adjacent to the Shaughnessy neighborhood. The new synagogue was officially opened on January 25, 1948. In 1963, an expansion was constructed on property to the immediate north to accommodate offices, classrooms, a large auditorium, and other facilities. Past rabbis include Rabbi Bernard Goldenberg, Rabbi Marvin Heir, Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu Feuerstein, and Rabbi Avi Baumol. The Institute for Stained Glass in Canada has documented the stained glass at Schara Tzedeck Synagogue.stained glass at Schara Tzedeck Synagogue http://stainedglasscanada.ca/site.php?site=271

Present

The synagogue has seen growth in membership over the last several years. Its youth program, including

chapter, was reinvigorated in 2001 due to the efforts of

Rabbi Avi Berman A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

and has continued to see strong attendance and growth. In 2007, to commemorate the synagogue's centennial, a Century Campaign raised funds for a youth programming fund and renovations of the lower level. The campaign culminated in the Century Celebration gala event held in the spring of 2007. The renovation was completed in the fall of 2011. The new facilities include modern state-of-the-art kitchens, a completely renovated social hall dedicated as the Silber Auditorium, an expansion of the Wosk Auditorium, and renovation of the

Beit Midrash A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...

. The Beit Midrash was rededicated as the Jack and Sadie Diamond Z"L Beit Midrash and the Yosef Wosk Library.

References

External links

Schara Tzedeck's website
{{coord, 49.2548097, -123.1270814, display=title Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Canada Ashkenazi synagogues Jews and Judaism in Vancouver Synagogues in British Columbia Religious buildings and structures in Vancouver Jewish organizations established in 1907 1907 establishments in British Columbia

History

Present

See also

Further reading

References

External links