Ahavath Beth Israel (Boise, Idaho)
Encyclopedia
Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel is a synagogue in Boise, Idaho
. Its 1896 building is thought to be the oldest
synagogue building in continuous use in the United States west of the Mississippi River
. The congregation is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism
.
, mayor of Boise and governor of Idaho, was an early leader of the congregation.
The building was erected in 1896, and given a careful restoration in 1982.
Congregation Ahavath Israel (Hebrew for "Lovers of The House of Israel") was founded in 1912 by Orthodox immigrants form Eastern Europe. The congregation erected a building at the corner of 27th and Bannock Streets in 1947. The two congregations merged in 1986 to become Ahavath Beth Israel..
A personal memoir/history of Congregation Ahavath Israel was written by one of its member leaders, the late Mr. Joel Stone; a copy of this book is obtainable through the congregation's lending library. A more comprehensive history of Ahavath Beth Israel (which focuses more on Beth Israel's history) was also privately published
for limited release by a former member, and is likewise available through the congregation.
style, though the tall windows flanking the large, rose window are in the form of Horseshoe arch
es. This Moorish Revival
detail continues on the inside, where the Barrel-vaulted ceiling is supported by Horseshoe-archs. The architect described the building as designed in a modern Moorish style.
In 1972 the synagogue was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. In 2003 the building was moved
from its original location on State Street to its current location on Latah Street. During the move documentation was discovered showing the original construction was partially financed by Marshall Field
and Levi Strauss & Co.
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. Its 1896 building is thought to be the oldest
Oldest synagogues in the United States
The designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...
synagogue building in continuous use in the United States west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The congregation is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
.
History
Boise's first Jews were present in the mining camps in the 1860s, but it was not until 1895 that a Congregation Beth Israel (Hebrew for House of Israel) was formed. Most of the congregants were from central Europe and the synagogue followed Reformed ritual. Moses AlexanderMoses Alexander
Moses Alexander was the second elected Jewish governor of a US state , serving as the 11th Governor of Idaho from 1915 until 1919. He was Idaho's first and so far only Jewish Governor....
, mayor of Boise and governor of Idaho, was an early leader of the congregation.
The building was erected in 1896, and given a careful restoration in 1982.
Congregation Ahavath Israel (Hebrew for "Lovers of The House of Israel") was founded in 1912 by Orthodox immigrants form Eastern Europe. The congregation erected a building at the corner of 27th and Bannock Streets in 1947. The two congregations merged in 1986 to become Ahavath Beth Israel..
A personal memoir/history of Congregation Ahavath Israel was written by one of its member leaders, the late Mr. Joel Stone; a copy of this book is obtainable through the congregation's lending library. A more comprehensive history of Ahavath Beth Israel (which focuses more on Beth Israel's history) was also privately published
Vanity press
A vanity press or vanity publisher is a term describing a publishing house that publishes books at the author's expense. Publisher Johnathon Clifford claims to have coined the term in 1959. However, the term appears in mainstream U.S...
for limited release by a former member, and is likewise available through the congregation.
Building
The synagogue's wood-shingled 1896 building blends two architecture styles popular with turn-of-the-century Jewish congregations. The exterior is in mainly in the popular RundbogenstilRundbogenstil
Rundbogenstil , one of the nineteenth-century historic revival styles of architecture, is a variety of Romanesque revival popular in the German-speaking lands and the German diaspora....
style, though the tall windows flanking the large, rose window are in the form of Horseshoe arch
Horseshoe arch
The horseshoe arch, also called the Moorish arch and the Keyhole arch, is the emblematic arch of Islamic architecture. They were formerly constructed in Visigothic Spain. Horseshoe arches can take rounded, pointed or lobed form....
es. This Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
detail continues on the inside, where the Barrel-vaulted ceiling is supported by Horseshoe-archs. The architect described the building as designed in a modern Moorish style.
In 1972 the synagogue was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. In 2003 the building was moved
Structure relocation
A structure relocation is the process of moving a structure from one location to another. There are two main ways for a structure to be moved: disassembling and then reassembling it at the required destination, or transporting it whole. For the latter, the building may be pushed on temporary rails...
from its original location on State Street to its current location on Latah Street. During the move documentation was discovered showing the original construction was partially financed by Marshall Field
Marshall Field
Marshall Field was founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores.-Life and career:...
and Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...