Congregation Beth Israel () is an egalitarian
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 ...
and congregation located at 15 Jamesbury Drive in
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engl ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, in the United States.
[ Founded in 1924 as an Orthodox synagogue, the congregation formally affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism in 1949,][ and describes itself as the "leading Conservative congregation in Central Massachusetts."][
The congregation first worshipped at a house on Pleasant Street; it constructed a synagogue building in its place in 1939.][ It completed its current location on Jamesbury Drive in 1959.][
The congregation hired its first permanent ]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 t ...
, Israel Chodos, in 1940.[ Subsequent rabbis have included Emanuel Green (1942-1944), Sidney Guthman (1944-1948), Herbert Ribner (1948–1955), Abraham Kazis (1955–1973),][ Baruch Goldstein (1971–1986),][ and Jay Rosenbaum (1983–2003).][ In 1994, the synagogue and Rosenbaum were the subject of the book ''And They Shall be My People: An American Rabbi and His Congregation'' by Paul Wilkes.][
Joel Pitkowsky succeeded Rosenbaum as rabbi in 2003.][ Pitkowsky left in 2011 and was succeeded by Rabbi Steven Schwarzman. Rabbi Schwarzman left in 2014 and was succeeded by Rabbi Aviva Fellman.
]
Early history
Beth Israel was founded in 1924 as an Orthodox 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 ...
. The congregation initially worshiped at 835 Pleasant Street, in a house that had room for up to 75 worshipers. That same year it also founded a Sunday school
]
A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes.
Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...
.[
]
Beth Israel hired its first permanent 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 t ...
in 1940,[ and constructed its first building, on Pleasant Street][ (replacing the existing house)][ in July 1939,][Minutes of Beth Israel meeting, July 17, 1939, Minutes of Board, vol. 1, p. 174.][ at a cost of $75,000 (today $).][ The new building's sanctuary could accommodate 500 people.][ After ]World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the congregation grew rapidly, from 242 member families in 1945, to 451 in 1953; by then the Hebrew school had 261 children in it.[ In 1945 the congregation voted to become Conservative, and in 1949 formally joined the United Synagogue of America (now United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism).][
Herbert Ribner served as rabbi from 1948 to 1955, and was followed by Abraham Kazis in 1955.][ In 1957, Beth Israel was the second largest of Worcester's eleven Jewish congregations, with 532 member families; the largest, the ]Reform
Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
Temple Emanuel, had 1,340 member families (42 families were members of both).[
]
Jamesbury Drive building
In 1953, Beth Israel purchased of land on Jamesbury Drive for $42,000 (today $), and began construction of their current building on it in 1958.[ Completed in 1959,][ the building cost $735,000 (today $), of which over $300,000 (today $) was ]mortgage
A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law (legal system), civil law jurisdictions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners t ...
d.[ The building had a main sanctuary that sat 476, a chapel with seating for 110, and a social hall that could accommodate up to 950 people. For the ]High Holidays
In Judaism, the High Holy Days, also known as High Holidays or Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim; , ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm'') consist of:
#strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement");
#by extension, th ...
, the sanctuary could be expanded into the social hall, providing seating for 1,450.[ The mortgage was retired in 15 years.][ The structure at 835 Pleasant Street was sold on September 10, 1959 to the Orthodox Shaarai Torah Synagogue, to serve as its west side branch.][
Kazis was succeeded as congregational rabbi by Baruch Goldstein in 1971. A native of ]Mława
Mława (; ''Mlave'') is a town in north-eastern Poland with 30,403 inhabitants in 2020. It is the capital of Mława County. It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship.
During the invasion of Poland in 1939, the battle of Mława was fought to the ...
(then in East Prussia
East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
), Goldstein had been sent to Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...
in 1942. His entire family perished in the Holocaust
The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
, but he survived and emigrated to the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, where he became a rabbi.[
Goldstein was succeeded by Jay Rosenbaum in 1986.][ A graduate of ]New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
and Rutgers University
Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
, he had been ordained by 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 as well as a hub for academic scholarship in Jewish studies ...
(JTSA) in 1980.[
]
1990s to present
In the early 1990s, the congregation still numbered around 530 member families.[ In 1994, the synagogue and Rosenbaum were the subject of the book ''And They Shall be My People: An American Rabbi and His Congregation'', the observations of Paul Wilkes, who had spent two and a half years with Rosenbaum and the congregation.][
During that period, the synagogue operated with annual budget deficit, which had risen to $210,000 (today $). The board of directors raised annual dues from $650 (today $) to $950 (today $), but membership fell to 499 families, and Wilkes was concerned that Rosenbaum's job was threatened. By 1995, however, the deficit had been eliminated, and Rosenbaum was signed to a new three-year contract.][
In the fall of 2001, Hazzan Devin Goldenberg was elected the Congregation's cantor, succeeding Hazzan Stephen Freedman. When Rabbi Rosenbaum left to lead Herzl-Ner Tamid Congregation in ]Mercer Island, Washington
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle metropolitan area, with Seattle to its west and Bellevue to ...
in the Spring of 2002, Hazzan Goldenberg continued to lead the Congregation alone until the Fall of 2003 when he was joined by Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky. Rabbi Pitkowsky, a graduate of Rutgers University and who received his ordination at the JTSA in 2001, had served as assistant rabbi of Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale before joining Beth Israel.[ Marina Shemesh joined as ]cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...
in 2004.[ Cantor, Beth Israel website.] She was succeeded in 2010 by Elise Barber, a fifth year cantorial student at Hebrew College
Hebrew College is a private college of Jewish studies in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Founded in 1921, the college conducts Jewish scholarship in a pluralistic, trans-denominational academic environment. Its president is Rabbi Sharon Cohen ...
.[
In 2014, Beth Israel hired its first female rabbi, Aviva Fellman.
]
Leadership
Rabbinical
Baruch Goldstein served as Educator from 1952 to 1964 and Assistant Rabbi from 1971 to 1973. He served as the rabbi of Temple Emmanuel in Wakefield, Massachusetts
Wakefield is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston, greater Boston metropolitan area, municipal corporation, incorporated in 1812 in the United States, 1812 and located about north-nor ...
from 1964-1971.[
]
Cantorial
Notes
References
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External links
Congregation Beth Israel website
* Freedman, Samuel G.br>"In The Diaspora: Ghetto to ghetto"
''The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is an English language, English-language Israeli broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1932 during the Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate of Mandatory Palestine, Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''Th ...
'', April 2, 2009.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beth Israel (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Synagogues in Worcester, Massachusetts
Conservative synagogues in Massachusetts
Jewish organizations established in 1924
1924 establishments in Massachusetts
Synagogues completed in 1959
1959 establishments in Massachusetts
Modernist architecture in Massachusetts
20th-century synagogues in the United States