Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Israel is a
Reconstructionist 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 located since January 2015 within Temple Israel & JCC, 475 Grove Street in
Ridgewood,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, in the United States.
It is the only Reconstructionist congregation in the area, with a membership drawn from Bergen and Rockland counties.
History
Established in 1928, the congregation moved to prior current location, a former church, in 1931.
The building it purchased was the former Maywood Christian Association Church, constructed in 1901. Built in the
Shingle style, the structure combined both stone and shingles. It also included "
Gothic Revival features, such as
tracery
Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support the ...
windows". The congregation added an extension to the building in 1952 which included meeting and school rooms, and an additional sanctuary.
[
Originally ]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 in ...
, in the 1990s Beth Israel was faced with declining membership and a building that needed significant capital investment. To help address these issues the membership decided to move to the Reconstructionist movement in 1997.[
]
Recent years
In 2014, the community voted to sell its property and join in a strategic partnership with Temple Israel and Jewish Community Center in Ridgewood, N.J. It was renamed Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Israel. It employs a part-time rabbi, holds its own services, and joins Temple Israel members for joint programs and activities.
Beth Israel participates in the "EZ Key Partnership", a High Holy Day initiative to provide free seats for qualified Bergen County residents. It also offers its own "free seats for first timers" program for High Holy Days.
References
Bibliography
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Beth Israel (Bergen County, New Jersey)
Buildings and structures in Bergen County, New Jersey
Maywood, New Jersey
Reconstructionist synagogues in the United States
Synagogues completed in 1901
Jewish organizations established in 1928
Shingle Style architecture in New Jersey
Shingle Style synagogues
Synagogues in New Jersey
Churches completed in 1901
21st-century synagogues in the United States