Congregation B’nai Israel is an historic

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 ...

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

congregation and

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 ...

at 401 West Grand Street in

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, in the United States. The synagogue building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2008.

History

The B'nai Israel congregation was

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

ed in 1885. In its early years, the congregation conducted services in some of homes of its members and in a hall above M. Tuchfeld's store (more recently known as Kisber's Department Store). The congregation moved into its first permanent home in 1897 when it acquired the former

Cumberland Presbyterian Church The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination spawned by the Second Great Awakening. Matthew H. Gore, The History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Kentucky to 1988, (Memphis, Tennessee: Joint Heritage Committee, 2000 ...

building on College Street and rededicated it for Jewish worship. In 1907 the congregation chose to affiliate with Reform Judaism, becoming a member of the

Union of American Hebrew Congregations The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms establ ...

. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church building, continued to serve as the congregation's place of worship until 1941, when the current temple building was completed. Construction of the new building was funded with money accumulated in a building fund that had been started in 1924. The building was designed by

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Carl Heyer and constructed by Jackson building contractor Hubert Owen.

Pew A pew () is a long bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a synagogue, church, funeral home or sometimes a courtroom. Occasionally, they are also found in live performance venues (such as the Ryman ...

s from the Cumberland Presbyterian Church building were installed in the new building; these pews are still in use. Classrooms were added to the building in 1962. The temple was listed on the

on July 16, 2008.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:B'nai Israel (Jackson, Tennessee) Reform synagogues in Tennessee Jackson, Tennessee Buildings and structures in Madison County, Tennessee Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Madison County, Tennessee Synagogues completed in 1941 1885 establishments in Tennessee Jewish organizations established in 1885 Romanesque Revival architecture in Tennessee Romanesque Revival synagogues 20th-century synagogues in the United States