Congregation Agudas Achim 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 in the Northwest Hills neighborhood of

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, in the United States.

History

Agudas Achim (Community of Brothers) was founded in 1914 by a group of

Orthodox Jews Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully tr ...

who met for prayer in private homes. It was chartered in 1924 and occupied leased space before erecting a brick synagogue at 909 San Jacinto. The Agudas Achim Cemetery in Austin Memorial Park on Hancock Road was purchased in 1933. The congregation joined 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 1948. The congregation moved to a new building on Bull Creek Road, dedicated on December 30, 1963. U.S. Vice President

Lyndon Baines Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

was scheduled to the dedication, which was postponed while the congregation joined the nation in mourning the death of U.S. President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

. At the dedication, Jim Novy spoke about President Johnson's role in Operation Texas, a clandestine operation to use the power of the US government without formal sanction to help Eastern European Jews escape the Nazis. This is thought to have made the congregation the second American synagogue dedicated by a President. The first was the Washington Hebrew Congregation which has had cornerstones laid or buildings dedicated by Presidents McKinley, Truman and Eisenhower. The undistinguished mid-century modern brick and glass building was renovated and upgraded in 1989. In 2001, the congregation dedicated a modern building designed by David Lake. The wood and stone sanctuary is bathed in natural light that enters via a skylight. The rusticated limestone walls resemble

Jerusalem stone Jerusalem stone (Hebrew: ; ) is a name applied to various types of pale limestone, dolomite and dolomitic limestone, common in and around Jerusalem that have been used in building since ancient times. One of these limestones, '' meleke'', has ...

(both visually and geologically) but the stone, like the members of the congregation, is "proudly Texan". The building is one of several religious institutions and community centers occupying the 40-acre

Dell Dell Inc. is an American technology company that develops, sells, repairs, and supports personal computers (PCs), Server (computing), servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, computer peripherals including printers and webcam ...

Jewish Community Campus in the Northwest Hills neighborhood of Austin. In 2018 Jen Taylor Friedman completed the first full Torah written in Texas by a woman; the congregation had requested her to do it for them.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Agudas Achim (Austin, Texas) Conservative synagogues in Texas Religious buildings and structures in Austin, Texas Jewish organizations established in 1914 1914 establishments in Texas Synagogues completed in 2001 21st-century synagogues in the United States