B'er Chayim Temple (

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 Well of Life,Barkley, Kristin Harty
B'er Chayim temple will undergo major renovation: Built in 1864, brick building recognized as longest continuously operating synagogue in Maryland
. ''The Cumberland Times-News'' (Cumberland, Maryland). September 18, 2011. a

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wit ...

in which

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...

is likened to water) is a synagogue in

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Allegany County, Maryland. It is the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,076. Located on the Potomac River, ...

that is currently affiliated with the Reform movement. B'er Chayim counts approximately 72 families as members.Pash, Barbara.
'We Don't Give Up': Cumberland's sole synagogue helps maintain Western Maryland's Jewish presence
. ''Jewish Times'' (Baltimore, Maryland). October 31, 2008. B'er Chayim is the oldest synagogue building in continuous use as a synagogue in Maryland and the sixth oldest in the United States.Jewish community celebrating restoration of historic city temple
. ''The Cumberland Times-News'' (Cumberland, Maryland). November 2, 2014.

Clergy and leadership

Mark J. Perman has served as the

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 ...

of B'er Chayim since July 2016.Meet Our Rabbi
. ''B'er Chayim Temple''. Retrieved October 9, 2016. A native of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

,Blaisdell, Elaine.
New rabbi has plans for theater at B'er Chayim
. ''The Cumberland Times-News'' (Cumberland, Maryland). October 3, 2016. Perman graduated from the

High School of Performing Arts The High School of Performing Arts (informally known as "PA") was a public alternative high school established in 1947 and located at 120 West 46th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, from 1948 to 1984. In 1961, the school ...

, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, ...

. Perman was ordained a

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 ...

in 1997, and he was ordained a rabbi by Mesifta Program in

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long Is ...

, in 2013. Prior to joining B'er Chayim, Perman served as the interim cantor at Congregation Emanu El in

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

. Lee Schwartz serves as

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 f ...

of B'er Chayim.Board Members, Committee Chairs and Contacts
. ''B'er Chayim Temple''. Retrieved October 9, 2016.

Religious services and programs

Shabbat services are held Friday evening.Services
. ''B'er Chayim Temple''. Retrieved October 9, 2016. Services and celebrations of

Jewish holidays 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 ...

, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Chanukah, are held throughout the year.

Torah study Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the ''mitzvah'' ("comma ...

sessions are held twice a month.

History

The first Jewish resident recorded in Cumberland dates to 1816. Twelve Jewish families were living in Cumberland, which then had a population of 6,150, in 1853 when congregation B'er Chayim was chartered by the Maryland state legislature. The congregation was Orthodox when the temple was built,Staff (undated).
"B'er Chayim Temple"

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government within the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of ...

. Retrieved June 2, 2014. although it is now a Reform congregation. Between 1865 and 1867, the congregation built a two-story,

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...

synagogue building on the corner of South Centre and Union Streets. The building cost $7,427.02 to construct. The facade is ornamented with four

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s, a handsome

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

, and four very un-Greek

Rundbogenstil (round-arch style) is a nineteenth-century historic revival style of architecture popular in the German-speaking lands and the German diaspora. It combines elements of Byzantine, Romanesque, and Renaissance architecture with particular ...

, or round-arched, windows. The building was constructed by local builder John B. Walton. Prayers and sermons were originally held in

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 ...

, rather than Hebrew. Beth Jacob Synagogue, which was also located in Cumberland, merged with B'er Chayim Temple in 1996. In 2011, the synagogue underwent renovation. The brickwork's mortar was redone, the wrought iron gates outside the entrance were restored, improved the interior, and made the synagogue wheelchair-accessible. The synagogue's building was reopened on August 17, 2014, and the synagogue was rededicated on November 7, 2014.Congregation announces move back to temple
. ''The Cumberland Times-News'' (Cumberland, Maryland). July 24, 2014. The Cumberland Historic Preservation Board gave an award to B'er Chayim for the synagogue's restoration.Barkley, Kristin Harty.
Commission recognizes B'er Chayim temple - Greene Street property also receives preservation commission award
. ''The Cumberland Times-News'' (Cumberland, Maryland). August 30, 2012.

References

External links

* * , including 1979 photo, at Maryland Historical Trust {{National Register of Historic Places in Maryland, state=collapsed 1866 establishments in Maryland Ashkenazi synagogues Buildings and structures in Cumberland, Maryland Downtown Cumberland, Maryland German-Jewish culture in Maryland Greek Revival architecture in Maryland Greek Revival synagogues Jews and Judaism in Appalachia National Register of Historic Places in Allegany County, Maryland Religious buildings and structures in Allegany County, Maryland Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland Religion in Cumberland, MD-WV-PA Synagogues completed in 1866 Religious organizations established in 1853

Clergy and leadership

Religious services and programs

History

See also

References

External links