Beth Israel Congregation () is a

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

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

located at 2000 Washtenaw Avenue in

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, in the United States. Established in 1916, Beth Israel is the oldest synagogue in Ann Arbor. In 2009, the

egalitarian Egalitarianism (; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all h ...

congregation had 480 member households, and the Rabbi, since 2018, is Nadav Caine.

History

Beth Israel Congregation of Ann Arbor was the first conservative congregation established in Michigan, founded In 1916 by Osias Zwerdling, Philip Lansky, and other members of the Ann Arbor Jewish Community. In 1997, Gerda Seligson received the Jewish Theological Seminary's Second Century award. A video recording of this event can be found in the Synagogue's records. Beginning in 2003 demonstrators carrying anti-Zionist posters assembled weekly on the sidewalk near the synagogue at the time of Saturday morning services. Two members of the congregation filed a federal lawsuit against the demonstrators in 2019, asking for an injunction to stop the demonstrations and damages for emotional distress. This injunction was followed by a ''

Amicus curiae An amicus curiae (; ) is an individual or organization that is not a Party (law), party to a legal case, but that is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. Wheth ...

'' brief from the Michigan branch of the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

that supported the congregation, while also defending the demonstrators' right to First Amendment speech. The injunction was dismissed in August 2020, re-filed, and affirmed in 2021 by the Sixth Circuit.United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Case No. 20-1870
/ref> Rabbi Rav Nadav leads two congregation members in an Aliyah

Rabbi Rav Nadav leads two congregation members in an Aliyah

References

External links

* Conservative synagogues in Michigan Organizations based in Ann Arbor, Michigan Jewish organizations established in 1916 Buildings and structures in Ann Arbor, Michigan 20th-century synagogues in the United States Synagogues in Michigan {{US-synagogue-stub