Temple B'Nai Israel is an historic former

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 ...

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 former

Masonic hall A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history I ...

, located at 265 West Main Street in

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Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

, in the United States. The Beaux-Arts building was originally constructed as a Masonic hall in 1929 and converted to a synagogue in 1940. The building was added to 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 1995, under the name "Masonic Temple", as part of a multiple property listing of fifteen historic synagogues in Connecticut. The building has been used as a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

since 2020.

History and architecture

The building is considered architecturally significant as a "fine example" of Neo-Classical Revival style in the Beaux-Arts mode. The building was originally designed by architect Walter P. Crabtree for use as a Masonic hall in 1927. The building was completed in 1929, just before the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. Financial constraints led the Masons to sell the building to the Aheyu B'Nai Israel in 1940. Some modifications were made to convert it for use as a synagogue, but since both organizations had similar needs (including both office and meeting rooms and a large assembly space), the building readily accommodated the new function. The conversion is considered an example of "an unusual change of use that was carried out successfully". and Crabtree also designed the Francis H. Holmes House in New Britain and the Universalist Church of West Hartford, both also listed on the National Register. The building is also considered historically significant for its association with New Britain's Jewish community. The congregation of Temple B'Nai Israel was originally an

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

congregation, organized in 1889 as Aheyu B'Nai Israel (Brethren Sons of Israel). In 1924 the congregation reorganized as

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 ...

(under the United Synagogue of America). Members of the congregation who held to Orthodox views split off, and built Tephereth Israel Synagogue. The synagogue closed in the summer of 2007. Its

Torah The Torah ( , "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. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

scrolls, valued at over tens of thousands of dollars each, were transferred to the Hillel organizations at

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, the

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, and the

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. Whilst still in use by the congregation, the B'Nai Israel synagogue building was one of fifteen Connecticut synagogues added to the

in 1995 and 1996 in response to an unprecedented multiple submission, nominating nineteen synagogues. , the building was used by New Hope at Calvary Church. , the

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

Fortress City Church was worshipping in the historic building.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:B'Nai Israel (New Britain, Connecticut) 1889 establishments in Connecticut 20th-century synagogues in the United States Beaux-Arts architecture in Connecticut Beaux-Arts synagogues Buildings and structures in New Britain, Connecticut Fortress City Church Former Masonic buildings in Connecticut Former synagogues in Connecticut Jewish organizations established in 1889 Masonic buildings completed in 1929 National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut Neoclassical architecture in Connecticut Neoclassical synagogues Synagogues completed in 1940 Synagogues on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut

History and architecture

See also

References

External links