Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes ( he, בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת, "House of Israel – People of Truth"), more commonly known as the Kane Street Synagogue, is an
egalitarian
Egalitarianism (), or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds from the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hum ...
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 at 236 Kane Street in
Cobble Hill,
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It is currently the
oldest continuously operating synagogue in Brooklyn.
[
Founded as Baith Israel in 1856,][ the congregation constructed the first synagogue on ]Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
,[ and hired ]Aaron Wise
Aaron Wise (May 2, 1844 – March 30, 1896) was an American rabbi.
Life and work
Wise was educated in the Talmudic schools of Hungary, including the seminary at Eisenstadt, where he studied under Azriel Hildesheimer. Later he attended the univ ...
for his first rabbi
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 of ...
nical position in the United States.[ Early tensions between traditionalists and reformers led to the latter forming ]Congregation Beth Elohim
Congregation Beth Elohim ( he, בֵּית אֱלֹהִים), also known as the Garfield Temple and the Eighth Avenue Temple, is a Reform Jewish congregation located at 274 Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue, in the Park Slope neighborhood of ...
, a Reform
Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...
synagogue, in 1861.[
The synagogue nearly failed in the early 20th century,][ but the 1905 hiring of Israel Goldfarb as rabbi, the purchase of its current buildings, and the 1908 merger with Talmud Torah Anshei Emes re-invigorated the congregation.][ The famous composer ]Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...
celebrated his Bar Mitzvah there in 1913,[ and long-time ]Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, H ...
head Sidney Weinberg
Sidney James Weinberg (October 12, 1891 – July 23, 1969) was a long-time leader of the Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs, nicknamed “Mr. Wall Street” by ''The New York Times''Whitman, Alden"Sidney J. Weinberg, Known as 'Mr. Wall Street,' Is De ...
was married there in 1920.[
Membership peaked in the 1920s, but with the onset of the ]Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
declined steadily, and by the 1970s the congregation could no longer afford to heat the sanctuary.[ Membership has recovered since that low point; the congregation renovated its school/community center in 2004, and in 2008 embarked on a million-dollar capital campaign to renovate the sanctuary.][
]
19th century
Origins
Twelve Bavarian, Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
, and Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
Jew
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""Th ...
s[ gathered at a private home on January 22, 1856, to discuss their "earnest desire oeffect the incorporation of a synagogue and congregation for divine service",][ Dickter (2004).] and in March that year[ they founded Congregation Baith Israel. The group had originally organized in 1855 as the United Brethren Society, a ]benefit society
A benefit society, fraternal benefit society, fraternal benefit order, friendly society, or mutual aid society is a society, an organization or a voluntary association formed to provide mutual aid, benefit, for instance insurance for relief fr ...
that provided members with medical and burial assistance.[ Our History, Synagogue website.] Hiring the Reverend
The Reverend is an style (manner of address), honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and Minister of religion, ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and c ...
M. Gershon[ "Rabbis, Cantors and Presidents 1856–2006", ''The Synagogue Journal'', Issue 23, June 9, 2006.] as cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
(the person who leads the prayers),[ Mooney (2004).] they first met in various homes, then rented space at 155 Atlantic Street, now Atlantic Avenue.[ Olitzky & Raphael (1996), p. 226.][ Abelow (1937), p. 40.]
Gershon's appointment was controversial; after a background check, the board decided by a 10–9 vote on April 6, 1856, that he had never held the position of cantor in any other congregation, and was therefore not "sufficiently acquainted with the actual requirements to fill said office", and was furthermore not "a competent reader enough to read the Sepher Torah".[ As a result, services were led by laymen,][ except during the ]Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...
s, when a professional cantor would be brought in from Manhattan.[
An 1886 '']Brooklyn Eagle
:''This article covers both the historical newspaper (1841–1955, 1960–1963), as well as an unrelated new Brooklyn Daily Eagle starting 1996 published currently''
The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''King ...
'' article states that until the founding of Baith Israel " therto the Hebrew residents in Brooklyn had been under the necessity of finding their way across the East River
The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Queens ...
in all kinds of weather, when they wished to go to their place of worship".[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', June 13, 1886.] According to synagogue legend, the founders had grown tired of rowing across the East River each Friday to celebrate 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 ...
in Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.[ Gross (1999). See also Barton (2006), Dickter (2004), and Greenwald (2001), p. 33.] Carol Levin, however, writes that a ferry service from Whitehall Street in Manhattan to South Ferry, Brooklyn
South Ferry was a ferry landing on the Brooklyn side of the East River, at the foot of Atlantic Avenue (Brooklyn), Atlantic Avenue below the Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. It is now Piers 5 and 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Pa ...
(at the foot of Atlantic Street) had existed since 1836 (see South Ferry (ferry)
South Ferry is at the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City and is the embarkation point for ferries to Staten Island (Staten Island Ferry, through the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal) and Governors Island. Battery Park, abutting S ...
), that the Atlantic Street synagogue's location, so close to the ferry terminus, "must have seemed convenient to many", and that " rry service was fast, frequent and inexpensive ... In the year 1869 there were almost 52 million passengers." Thus, in her view, the story of the founders growing tired of rowing across the East River is a "folk tale".[ Levin (January 6, 2006).]
Attempts at reform and amalgamation, construction of first synagogue
In the congregation's early years, tensions existed between traditionalists and reformers, and in 1861, 41 of the latter left Baith Israel to form the Congregation Beth Elohim
Congregation Beth Elohim ( he, בֵּית אֱלֹהִים), also known as the Garfield Temple and the Eighth Avenue Temple, is a Reform Jewish congregation located at 274 Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue, in the Park Slope neighborhood of ...
, a Reform
Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...
synagogue.[ That year Baith Israel hired the Reverend Joel Alexander as its religious leader.][ Alexander, the synagogue's first full-time rabbi, was a graduate of the Jews Seminary in ]Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...
, and had been ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
both in Posen and by Hermann Adler
Hermann Adler HaKohen CVO (30 May 1839 – 18 July 1911;
Hebrew נפתלי צבי הירש הכהן אדלר
) was the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire from 1891 to 1911. The son (and successor as Chief Rabbi) of Nathan Marcus Adler, the 1911 ' ...
, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom
The following list of chief rabbis of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth gives information regarding the Chief Rabbi of the United Synagogue, which is represented through the mainstream majority Orthodox community of the United Kin ...
.[
In 1862, the remaining 35 members purchased two lots at the corner of State Street and Boerum Place in ]Boerum Hill
Boerum Hill (pronounced ) is a small neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bounded by Schermerhorn Street to the north and Fourth Avenue to the east. The western border is variously given as either Sm ...
for $3,000 (today $), and on January 12 laid the cornerstone for a new building, the first synagogue built on Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
. The building was completed on August 12, at a cost of $10,000 (today $), and was consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
on August 31 by Alexander and assembled dignitaries.[ ''The New York Times'', September 1, 1862.] The synagogue, which came to be known as the Boerum Schule, created a Sunday school
A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West.
Su ...
soon afterwards,[ the first in Brooklyn,][ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', March 14, 1890.] and at the time, an innovation.[ The school was free, and run by volunteers, with separate classes for boys and girls.][ By 1890 the school had 160 students,][ and at its peak the school had 500 pupils.][
In 1869 reformers again left Baith Israel, and, joining with dissenters from Kahal Kodesh Beth Elohim of Williamsburg, founded Temple Israel.][ Galvin (2001), p. 30.][ "Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes – 1853-2006", ''The Synagogue Journal'', Issue 23, June 9, 2006.] Though many reformers had left the congregation, several reforms in the service were nonetheless introduced: the congregation abolished most ''piyyut
A ''piyyut'' or ''piyut'' (plural piyyutim or piyutim, he, פִּיּוּטִים / פיוטים, פִּיּוּט / פיוט ; from Greek ποιητής ''poiētḗs'' "poet") is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, ch ...
im'' and the Priestly Blessing
The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, ( he, ברכת כהנים; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim'') or rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan'') ...
,[ Olitzky & Raphael (1996), p. 227.] and, in 1873,[ introduced a confirmation ceremony for girls,][ Waxman (1998), p. 294.] led by the Reverend Dr. Tinter.[ The confirmation ceremonies, which had initially been held during the holiday of '']Sukkot
or ("Booths, Tabernacles")
, observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans
, type = Jewish, Samaritan
, begins = 15th day of Tishrei
, ends = 21st day of Tishre ...
'', were eventually moved to the holiday of ''Shavuot
(''Ḥag HaShavuot'' or ''Shavuos'')
, nickname = English: "Feast of Weeks"
, observedby = Jews and Samaritans
, type = Jewish and Samaritan
, begins = 6th day of Sivan (or the Sunday following the 6th day of Sivan i ...
'' (the holiday during which the Reform movement held these ceremonies), and continued for both boys and girls (in place of Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations) until the 1940s.[
]Aaron Wise
Aaron Wise (May 2, 1844 – March 30, 1896) was an American rabbi.
Life and work
Wise was educated in the Talmudic schools of Hungary, including the seminary at Eisenstadt, where he studied under Azriel Hildesheimer. Later he attended the univ ...
, father of Stephen Samuel Wise
Stephen Samuel Wise (March 17, 1874 – April 19, 1949) was an early 20th-century American Reform rabbi and Zionist leader in the Progressive Era. Born in Budapest, he was an infant when his family immigrated to New York. He followed his father ...
, was one of the synagogue's earliest rabbis, from 1874 to 1875.[ This was his first rabbinical position in the United States,][ before moving to Congregation Rodeph Sholom in Manhattan.
]
Building renovations, failed mergers, traditionalism
In 1876, the congregation voted by a margin of over two to one to re-orient the synagogue pews in the manner of Christian churches, and introduce mixed seating. However, nothing was done about this until 1879, when the renovations were carried out: the front pews were removed, the side pews extended to the walls, and the vestibule moved outside the sanctuary. Led by rabbi Dr. E. M. Myers, the synagogue was re-dedicated on September 7.[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', September 8, 1879.]
In April 1883, Baith Israel, Beth Elohim, and Temple Israel, Brooklyn's three leading synagogues, tried to merge;[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', April 7, 1883.] Beth Elohim and Temple Israel had both been formed in the 1860s by dissenters from Baith Israel. This was the third such attempt; the previous two had failed when the members could not agree on synagogue ritual.[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', April 26, 1883.] The combined congregation, which would purchase new premises, would have 150 members (only heads of households were considered members at that time). Members would be refunded half the purchase price of the pews in their existing buildings.[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', April 26, 1883.] The rabbis of Beth Elohim and Temple Israel were to split the offices of rabbi and cantor: Baith Israel, at the time, had no rabbi. Though this attempt also failed, in the following year the three congregations carried out combined activities, including a picnic[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', July 7, 1884.] and a celebration of the 100th birthday of Sir Moses Montefiore
Sir Moses Haim Montefiore, 1st Baronet, (24 October 1784 – 28 July 1885) was a British financier and banker, activist, philanthropist and Sheriff of London. Born to an Italian Sephardic Jewish family based in London, afte ...
.[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', October 27, 1884.]
Baith Israel hired Marcus Friedlander as rabbi in 1887.[ Born in ]Congress Poland
Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It w ...
in 1862, he left Russia for England before he was twenty. Though speaking little English at the time, he graduated there from the London Theological Seminary, before emigrating to the United States. He was 24 years old when he assumed the post at Baith Israel, at the time the youngest man in New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
state to be appointed to so significant a position of Jewish leadership.[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', April 8, 1889.][ , ''Brooklyn Eagle'', September 27, 1891.] Friedlander served until 1893, when he resigned to take a more lucrative position in California[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', May 1, 1893.] at the First Hebrew Congregation of Oakland.[ Olitzky & Raphael (1996), p. 55.] After Friedlander left, his name was, for reasons unknown, deleted from the synagogue histories, and the financial records and minute books dating from his tenure were removed from Baith Israel's archives.[ He was succeeded by Joseph Taubenhaus, the brother of Dr. Gottheil/Godfrey Taubenhaus, the rabbi of Congregation Beth Elohim; another brother, Jacob/]Jean Taubenhaus
Jean (Jan) Taubenhaus (14 December 1850, in Warsaw – 14 September 1919, in Paris) was a Polish–born French chess master.
Biography
Taubenhaus was a foremost Warsaw chess player in late 1870s. In 1880, he settled in Paris. In the 4th internat ...
was a famous French chess master
A chess title is a title regulated by a chess governing body and bestowed upon players based on their performance and rank. Such titles are usually granted for life. The international chess governing body FIDE grants several titles, the most pres ...
.[
In 1889, the congregation again renovated the synagogue building, repairing it and replacing the roof, increasing the seating capacity, adding a new vestibule and double entrance way, and redecorating the interior. At that time over half of the congregants still spoke ]German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
as their native language.[ The congregation had 50 members—defined as "heads of families who own seats"—by 1891, and 300 congregants in total.][ By 1900, the congregation had 160 members, and the congregational school, which held classes for two hours once a week, had ten teachers and 150 students.][ ''American Jewish Year Book'', Vol. 2, p. 329.]
Though the synagogue had undertaken innovations in some areas of Jewish law
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws which is derived from the Torah, written and Oral Tora ...
, it still insisted on strict adherence in others. In 1878 Tinter was dismissed for officiating at the marriage of a Jewish woman and Christian man,[ and Baith Israel was, for a time, the only congregation in Brooklyn that celebrated ]Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...
s for the traditional two days.[ In 1889 Baith Israel asserted it was "the only orthodox congregation in the city",][ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', February 21, 1889.] and that year the board forced the resignation of a Mr. J. Folkart, for transgressing the laws of Yom Kippur.[ Whitman (2008).][ In 1892, when Hyman Rosenberg was expelled as rabbi of Brooklyn's Beth Jacob synagogue for eating ham, the '']Brooklyn Eagle
:''This article covers both the historical newspaper (1841–1955, 1960–1963), as well as an unrelated new Brooklyn Daily Eagle starting 1996 published currently''
The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''King ...
'' canvassed local rabbis for their views on the matter. While George Taubenhaus, rabbi of Beth Elohim stated, "I do not believe my congregation would expel me if I ate ham", Baith Israel's rabbi Friedlander responded, "While there are some differences between the reform and orthodox Jews, I do not think it is the place for any Jewish minister to eat ham. The reformers do not so strictly observe the old Mosaic law, but it does not seem to me a good example for a rabbi to set to his congregation."[ ''Brooklyn Eagle'', December 16, 1892.]
20th century
Decline and reinvigoration
By 1904, membership had fallen to 30,[ and the synagogue nearly failed:][ mass transit had allowed Jews to migrate away from ]downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City after Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is known for its office and ...
,[ and a fire had nearly destroyed the Boerum synagogue building.][ Further innovations were attempted, including a ]pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
and a mixed-sex choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
,[ but these were removed][ after objections from ]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 ...
members.[ The congregation decided that the Boerum location was part of the problem, and made the bold decision to sell it, buy new premises, and hire a rabbi][ (the synagogue had, for many years, run without one).][ Greenwald (2001), p. 35.] In 1905, they hired Israel Goldfarb, a 1902 graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary,[ as "Hazan antorand Teacher",][ Kaufman (1999), p. 215.] his first and only pulpit. The following year Goldfarb was appointed rabbi,[ a position he would hold for over 50 years.][
In 1905, the congregation also purchased for $30,000 (today $) its current building at Tompkins Place and Harrison Street (renamed Kane Street in 1928),][ "Copland's Sanctuary", ''NewMusicBox''.] along with an adjacent school building and a connecting two-story arcade.[ The ]Romanesque revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
church building, erected in 1855, had originally housed the Middle Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...
, and, from 1887, the Trinity German Lutheran Church.[ The hiring of Goldfarb and purchase of a new building helped revive the congregation, and by 1906 (its 50th anniversary) membership had doubled.][
Goldfarb was a talented musician, known to this day as composer of popular tunes for the songs "]Shalom Aleichem
''Shalom aleichem'' (; he, שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם, ; ) is a spoken greeting in Hebrew, meaning " peace be upon you". The appropriate response is ("unto you peace") ( he, עֲלֵיכֶם שָׁלוֹם). The plural form "" is used eve ...
" and "Magein Avot" used in most Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
synagogues. With his brother Samuel E. Goldfarb, he compiled ''The Jewish Songster'' for schoolchildren, the first American collection of Jewish songs.[ Michelman (2006).] Israel Goldfarb also served as Professor of Liturgical Music at the Jewish Theological Seminary from 1920 to 1944, and in 1949 founded the School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College
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 ...
.[
In his '']Kol Nidre
Kol Nidre (also known as Kol Nidrey or Kol Nidrei; Aramaic: ''kāl niḏrē'') is a Hebrew and Aramaic declaration which is recited in the synagogue before the beginning of the evening service on every Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"). Strictly ...
'' sermon of 1905, Goldfarb emphasized the need for a Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah ( he, תלמוד תורה, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary educat ...
(providing inexpensive Jewish education for primary school children), and it was immediately founded.[ Talmud Torahs helped synagogues in neighborhoods with small Jewish populations to attract young Jewish families, and were common in "second-settlement areas of New York City such as ]Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
and Brooklyn". By 1907–1908 the congregation had grown to 85 member families. The Talmud Torah, which held classes four days a week, had three teachers and 75 students.[ ''American Jewish Year Book'', Vol. 9, pp. 262–263.]
Merger with Talmud Torah Anshei Emes and growth
In 1908,[ Baith Israel merged with Degraw Street's Talmud Torah Anshei Emes Synagogue, a growing congregation that had become too large for the ]row house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house (British English, UK) or townhouse (American English, US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings party ...
in which it held services.[ Talmud Torah Anshei Emes's membership was mostly made up of Eastern European Jews, who were stricter in their observances than Baith Israel's mostly German-origin membership; to accommodate them, a special all-men section of pews was designated at the front left of the sanctuary.][
The merged congregations adopted the current name, a combination of the two previous names, and, with the assistance and encouragement of Goldfarb and synagogue president Harris Copland][ Pollack (2000), p. 26.][ Abelow (1937), p. 46.] founded a sisterhood.[ Nevertheless, the combined membership was still not large;][ in 1911, the year the congregation renovated the recently acquired synagogue building,][ the Talmud Torah had only 45 students, 10 of them the children of non-members.][
The sisterhood had grown to 42 members by 1913; that year 11 men were accepted as new congregants, including "a dentist, an optician, a druggist, a lawyer, a butler and two store owners and a roofer"—in general, ]middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...
occupations.[ Baith Israel Anshei Emes also became one of the charter members of 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 1913,[ Greenwald (2001), p. 36.] with Michael Salit, who had been synagogue president in 1906,[ serving as the congregation's delegate,][ and he, Rabbi Goldfarb and another synagogue member, Isaac Applebaum, were among the 22 individuals who initially founded the organization.][
]Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...
celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at Baith Israel Anshei Emes in 1913. The Copland family was active in the synagogue; his father Harris became treasurer and chairman of the Talmud Torah in 1905,[ had helped purchase the current building,][ Barton (2006).] served as president of the congregation from 1907 to 1910,[ and was made a life trustee in 1936.][ Aaron's brother Ralph served as superintendent of the Sunday School.][ Goldfarb was instrumental in assisting Aaron Copland in his early musical career. While still in high school, Aaron had approached Goldfarb for his support in studying music: Aaron's father wanted him to enter the legal profession. Goldfarb engineered an agreement whereby Aaron would study music for two or three years, and, if that did not work out, then study law.][ In his memoirs, Copland would later describe Goldfarb as "a composer of liturgical music and the possessor of a fine baritone voice ... a sensitive human being and an effective leader of the congregation".][
By 1916, the congregation had installed 10 ]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, electric lighting, a new pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
, and two large bronze menorahs
The menorah (; he, מְנוֹרָה ''mənōrā'', ) is a Candelabra, seven-branched candelabrum that is described in the Hebrew Bible as having been used in the Tabernacle and in the Temple in Jerusalem. Since antiquity, it has served as a sy ...
, and employed six people. Dues were $12 (today $) per year, and Sunday school fees were $0.02 (today $0) per session.[ Membership had grown to 140 families by 1919. The congregational school held classes daily, and had 400 students and 20 teachers.][ ''American Jewish Year Book'', Vol. 21, p. 440.]
Sidney Weinberg
Sidney James Weinberg (October 12, 1891 – July 23, 1969) was a long-time leader of the Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs, nicknamed “Mr. Wall Street” by ''The New York Times''Whitman, Alden"Sidney J. Weinberg, Known as 'Mr. Wall Street,' Is De ...
, who rose from the job of assistant porter to head Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, H ...
from 1930 to 1969, was married at Baith Israel Anshei Emes in 1920. The Weinberg family, which had joined the synagogue when it was still on Beorum Place, was also very active in the synagogue; Sidney's mother, Sophie, was sisterhood president from 1912 to 1913, and his father, Pincus, served as president from 1919 to 1921, and the children all attended the Sunday school and Talmud Torah.[ Levin (March 17, 2006).] The Weinbergs subsequently moved to Flatbush, where in 1924 Pincus became the first president of the East Midwood Jewish Center
East Midwood Jewish Center is a Conservative synagogue located at 1625 Ocean Avenue, Midwood, Brooklyn, New York City.
Organized in 1924, the congregation's Renaissance revival building (completed in 1929) typified the large multi-purpose synag ...
.History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
, East Midwood Jewish Center website.
In 1924, a fire almost destroyed the upper level of the school building, but the congregation repaired the damage.[ Another renovation was begun in 1928, and included installing illuminated stained glass over the ]ark
Ark or ARK may refer to:
Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva''
* Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood
* Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses
Hebrew ''aron''
* ...
and bronze memorial tablets at the rear of the sanctuary, and repainting the sanctuary walls and columns in a trompe-l'œil
''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into ...
manner imitating 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 ...
and marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
.[
]
Great Depression and post-World War II decline
On its 75th anniversary in 1931, the congregation received a congratulatory message from President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
.[ Hoover, March 1, 1931 (dated February 28, 1931).] Additional congratulatory messages arrived from Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
(later President) Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, Lieutenant Governor Herbert H. Lehman
Herbert Henry Lehman (March 28, 1878 – December 5, 1963) was an American Democratic Party politician from New York. He served from 1933 until 1942 as the 45th governor of New York and represented New York State in the U.S. Senate from 194 ...
, Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Jimmy Walker
James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. He was forced t ...
, and Felix M. Warburg
Felix Moritz Warburg (January 14, 1871October 20, 1937) was a German-born American banker. He was a member of the Warburg banking family of Hamburg, Germany.
Early life
Warburg was born in Hamburg, Germany, on January 14, 1871. He was a grandso ...
.[ Nevertheless, the ]Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
brought difficult times; officers were no longer paid their salaries, and were informed in 1932 that they would have to "wait indefinitely" to receive their back wages. In 1933, the synagogue abolished fixed wages entirely for its employees, and instead paid them on a "month-to-month basis", depending on what the congregation could afford.[ Wenger (1999), pp. 126–127.]
In 1932 women were allowed to join the choir. In deference to traditionalists, however, the choir was moved to the organ loft, so that the women would be less visible.[
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Herman Belth raised $20,000 (today $) and contributed another $20,000 for another renovation of the synagogue. The building was fortified, the interior (except the front wall) repainted, and the exterior brick walls, which had been clad in "blue-veined white stone", were refinished with "]brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material.
Type ...
type stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
ed slabs".[ Greenwald (2001), p. 37.] When the renovations were complete, the synagogue was re-dedicated in January 1953.[ Despite Belth's efforts, membership continued to decline, as congregants moved to the suburbs.][ Though the Centennial Celebrations of 1956 "provided a brief burst of energy for the Congregation and produced funds to maintain the Synagogue",][ during this period the choir was disbanded, the Sunday School and Talmud Torah closed, and paid staff reduced.][
In the 1960s, following Goldfarb's retirement,][ the synagogue hired a series of part-time rabbis,][ including Goldfarb's grandson, Henry D. Michelman, who served as rabbi from 1967 to 1971.][ Michelman, who would later become the Executive Vice President of the ]Synagogue Council of America The Synagogue Council of America was an American Jewish organization of synagogue and rabbinical associations, founded in 1926. The Council was the umbrella body bridging the three primary religious movements within Judaism in the United States. It ...
,[ Steinfels (1989).] was, like his grandfather, a talented musician, composing music for synagogues and churches, writing scores for television films for ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
, A&E, CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sho ...
, and PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
, and serving as Chairman of the American Society of Jewish Music.[ Rabbi Henry D. Michelman, American Society for Jewish Music website, April 25, 2007.]
The membership decline continued in the late 1960s[ Shelby (1998).] and early 1970s, as older congregants died and moved away, and dwindled to the point where the congregation could no longer afford to heat the sanctuary,[ Clark (2006).] and thought they would have to disband.[ Gross (1999).] Nevertheless, in 1972 the congregation established a nursery school and ''prozdor'' (high school).[
]
Rebirth: 1980s and 1990s
Changing demographics and new synagogue programs helped the congregation recover from its low point in the 1970s.[ In 1979, Raymond Scheindlin, a ]Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...
in Arabic literature
Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...
from Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, and professor of medieval Hebrew poetry
Hebrew literature consists of ancient, medieval, and modern writings in the Hebrew language. It is one of the primary forms of Jewish literature, though there have been cases of literature written in Hebrew by non-Jews. Hebrew literature was pro ...
at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studie ...
(JTSA), became the part-time rabbi of the congregation,[ replacing Howard Gorin, who had served since 1976.][ Our Rabbi, Tikvat Israel Congregation website.] Scheindlin had become a member in 1974, after joining the faculty of the JTSA and moving to Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, an ...
, and from that point on read the Torah every week and served as cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
.[ Rand & Decter (2007), pp. xii–xiii.] He also encouraged the re-constitution of a choir, which called itself "the DeRossi Singers" after Salamone DeRossi, the leading Jewish composer of the late Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
, whose works the choir sang.[ Greenwald (2001), p. 38.] Even after leaving the synagogue, Scheindlin continued to return to serve as cantor for the High Holidays every year until 2016.
In 1982 Scheindlin stated that the membership had grown to the point where it again required the services of a full-time rabbi,[ and the congregation hired Jonathan Ginsburg as its first full-time rabbi since Israel Goldfarb's retirement.][ Ginsburg developed adult education and young singles programs, and improved standards in the synagogue's children's education programs. Geoffrey Goldberg followed him as rabbi from 1987 to 1988.][
In 1994 the buildings' stained glass windows, parapet tower, and brownstone were repaired, landscaping redone, and, with a grant from the ]Sol Goldman
Sol Goldman (born Usher Selig Goldman, September 2, 1917 – October 18, 1987) was an American real estate investor and philanthropist. Goldman was the founder of Solil Management, a real estate investment firm he founded in the 1950s with his ...
Charitable trust, the '' bimah'' and vestibule were refurbished.[ Membership had increased to almost 200 families by 1995,][ and in 1996 Samuel H. Weintraub was hired as rabbi.][
]
Increasing involvement of women
In 1961 the synagogue began granting women some pulpit honors, giving the Sisterhood President ''gelila
Torah reading (; ') is a Jewish religious tradition that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the scroll (or scrolls) from the Torah ark, chanting the a ...
'',[ and in 1966 granting married couples ''hagbaha and gelila'' (the honors of lifting and re-wrapping the Torah after it has been read).][ In the 1970s, women became more involved in the synagogue's political and religious activities: in 1972, the first woman was elected to the board of trustees, and in 1975, the congregation began calling women to the Torah and counting women in the '']minyan
In Judaism, a ''minyan'' ( he, מניין \ מִנְיָן ''mīnyān'' , lit. (noun) ''count, number''; pl. ''mīnyānīm'' ) is the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. In more traditional streams of Jud ...
'',[ the latter just two years after the ]Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on halakha (Jewish law and tradition) within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active and widely known committees on the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly. With ...
of the Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly (RA) is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, an ...
voted nine to four in favor of this innovation.[ Fine (2002), p. 2.]
In 1980, Nancy Fink, a Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and a number of adjunct faculty.
Brookly ...
professor, was elected as the congregation's first female president.[ Fink called a full membership meeting in 1982 to decide whether women could lead the services, blow the ]shofar
A shofar ( ; from he, שׁוֹפָר, ) is an ancient musical horn typically made of a ram's horn, used for Jewish religious purposes. Like the modern bugle, the shofar lacks pitch-altering devices, with all pitch control done by varying the ...
(the rams-horn trumpet blown on the High Holidays), and whether daughters of ''kohanim
Kohen ( he, , ''kōhēn'', , "priest", pl. , ''kōhănīm'', , "priests") is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. Levitical priests or ''kohanim'' are traditionally be ...
'' (hereditary priests) could give the priestly blessing
The Priestly Blessing or priestly benediction, ( he, ברכת כהנים; translit. ''birkat kohanim''), also known in rabbinic literature as raising of the hands (Hebrew ''nesiat kapayim'') or rising to the platform (Hebrew ''aliyah ledukhan'') ...
. Advised by Scheindlin, the congregation decided to make the services fully egalitarian, allowing women to perform all three functions.[
Baith Israel Anshei Emes' move to egalitarianism culminated in August 1988, when Debra Cantor was hired as its first female rabbi, making it the first synagogue in the ]Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...
to be led by a woman.[ Goldman (1988).][ Gonzalez (1993).] Cantor, who was 33 at the time, had been valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution.
The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
of that year's graduating class at the Jewish Theological Seminary.[ The decision was not accepted by all congregants; the Conservative movement had ordained its first female rabbi, ]Amy Eilberg
Amy Eilberg (born October 12, 1954) is the first female rabbi ordained in Conservative Judaism. She was ordained in 1985 by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, one of the academic centers and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism.
Yo ...
, only three years before, in 1985, and following Cantor's appointment a number of families left the synagogue to form B'nai Avraham, 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 ...
congregation in Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, an ...
.[ Greenwald (2001), p. 39.]
21st century
In 2002 Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes received a $1 million grant for building renovations from Lillian Goldman, just weeks before her death; she had previously donated $20 million for the reconstruction and expansion of Yale Law School's library, and $5 million to Manhattan's 92nd Street Y
92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a cultural and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the corner of East 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Founded in 1874 as the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the ...
for a family center there.[ Lewis (2002).] After raising over $2 million more,[ including a $54,000 grant from the Jewish Communal Fund,][ Annual Report 2003, Jewish Communal Fund.] in 2003 the congregation began re-building the three story school/community center from the ground up, leaving only the historic facade.[ Son (2003).] In 2004 the building was re-opened as the "Sol and Lillian Goldman Education Center",[ Wolff (2004).] and a day-time pre-school launched.[ Though the sanctuary also needed extensive repairs, the renovations of the school/community center were undertaken first because the congregation decided "a venue for social functions is at the heart of every cohesive religious group".][ The following year, the school received a $25,000 grant from the Edith Glick Shoolman Children's Foundation " assist in the development of the Kane Street Kids program for preschool age children housed in the Congregation's Early Childhood Center".][ Grantees 2004/5, Edith Glick Shoolman Children's Foundation website.]
Nearly 300 households were members by 2006,[ and in the same year, the awarded the synagogue a grant of $350,000 for exterior restoration of the sanctuary.][ 2006 EPF Grant Awards, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, October 20, 2006.] The grant was part of a million-dollar capital campaign that the membership intended to carry out in 2008, as the synagogue building still required extensive repairs: the roof leaked, causing interior damage, and (along with the gutters) needed to be replaced; interior columns were taped to prevent plaster from falling off them; the sanctuary doors needed to be replaced; and the stained glass windows needed to be removed, the metal holding them repaired, and their wooden framing replaced.[ In 2007 the New York Landmarks Conservancy's Sacred Sites Program awarded Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes grants totaling $17,500, for copper roof and masonry restoration.][ Past Projects in 2007, The New York Landmarks Conservancy.]
In 2008, the Synagogue filed documents with the New York Department of State, and was approved to officially use the name "Kane Street Synagogue," which had been its commonly-used name for several decades at that point.
The congregation had been supportive of the LGBTQ+ community since at least the early 1990s,[ Pompeo (2007).] and following the late 2006 decision by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on halakha (Jewish law and tradition) within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active and widely known committees on the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly. With ...
to allow same-sex commitment ceremonies,[ Ordination of Gays and Lesbians and Same-Sex Commitment Ceremonies Memorandum, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, December 6, 2006.] in 2007 Kane Street Synagogue voted to follow suit. The day before Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...
, 2009, the synagogue was picketed by members of the Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is a small American, unaffiliated Primitive Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas, founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps. Labeled a hate group, WBC is known for engaging in homophobic and anti-American pickets, as ...
, who shouted antisemitic and anti-gay slogans.[ Muessig (2009).]
The congregation was led by now Rabbi Emeritus, Samuel H. Weintraub from 1996 to 2021. He was succeeded by Interim Senior Rabbi Paul. F. Resnick. Rabbi Michelle Dardashti was elected as head rabbi by the congregation in March 2022, and officially assumed her role on August 1 of that year.
Congregation Baith Israel Anshei Emes continues to be the oldest continuously operating synagogue in Brooklyn.[ Kane Street Synagogue Records, Historical Note, Jewish Theological Seminary.]
Notes
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External links
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* Gelfand, Alexander
"A Mosaic of Jewish Music in America"
''The Forward
''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ' ...
'', May 26, 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baith Israel Anshei Emes
1856 establishments in New York (state)
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
Conservative synagogues in New York City
Religious organizations established in 1856
Romanesque Revival architecture in New York City
Romanesque Revival synagogues
Synagogues completed in 1855
Synagogues in Brooklyn