B'nai Jeshurun
Encyclopedia
B'nai Jeshurun is a synagogue in the Upper West Side
of Manhattan, New York City.
Ashkenazi synagogue in the United States.
The synagogue was founded by a coalition of young members of congregation Shearith Israel and immigrants and the descendants of immigrants from the German and Polish lands. It was the stated intention to follow the "German and Polish minhag (rite)." The order of prayers followed that of the Ashkenazi Great Synagogue of London
and sought the guidance of the British chief Rabbi Solomon Hirschell
on matters of ritual. The congregation dedicated its first building on Elm Street in Manhattan in 1827. In 1828, at a time of rapid growth in the New York Jewish community, a group left B'nai Jeshurun to found Ansche Chesed
. The first rabbi, Samuel Isaacs, was appointed in 1839. By 1850, the congregation had grown large enough to make it necessary to build a new synagogue on Green Street.
In 1865, the congregation moved yet again, to a new building on 34th Street, part of the site of the flagship
Macy's
store. And, driven by the rapid expansion of the city, yet again in 1885 to Madison Avenue at 65th Street. That building was designed by Rafael Guastavino
and Schwarzmann & Buchman.
The present building, located at 257 West 88th Street between Broadway and West End Avenue
was dedicated in 1917. It was designed by Henry B. Herts, a congregant and celebrated theater architect, with Walter S. Schneider. In addition to its place on the National Register of Historic Places
, the synagogue was included in the New York City Riverside Drive-West End Historic District created in 1990. The muqarna-studded ceiling was redesigned following its collapse during renovations in the early 1990s and was replaced with a future-invoking space frame back-lit to simulate a nighttime sky http://ohny.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/field-trip-friday-congregation-bnai-jeshurun/.
in 1886. When the Board of Delegates merged with the (Reform) Union of American Hebrew Congregations in 1878 the congregation went along, but in 1884 it left the Reform Movement to join the United Synagogue of America, now the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
. In 1889, the congregation published its own edition of the prayer book. In the 1990s the congregation left the Conservative movement and is now independent.
.
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
of Manhattan, New York City.
History
Founded in 1825, Bnai Jeshurun was the second synagogue founded in New York and the third oldestOldest 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...
Ashkenazi synagogue in the United States.
The synagogue was founded by a coalition of young members of congregation Shearith Israel and immigrants and the descendants of immigrants from the German and Polish lands. It was the stated intention to follow the "German and Polish minhag (rite)." The order of prayers followed that of the Ashkenazi Great Synagogue of London
Great Synagogue of London
The Great Synagogue of London was, for centuries, the centre of Ashkenazi synagogue and Jewish life in London. It was destroyed during World War II, in the Blitz.-History:...
and sought the guidance of the British chief Rabbi Solomon Hirschell
Solomon Hirschell
Rabbi Solomon Hirschell was the Chief rabbi of Great Britain, 1802-42. He is best remembered for his unsuccessful attempt to stop the spread of Reform Judaism in Britain by excommunicating its leaders....
on matters of ritual. The congregation dedicated its first building on Elm Street in Manhattan in 1827. In 1828, at a time of rapid growth in the New York Jewish community, a group left B'nai Jeshurun to found Ansche Chesed
Ansche Chesed
Ansche Chesed is a synagogue on the Upper West Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan.-History:The congregation was founded in 1828 by a group of German, Dutch and Polish Jews who split off from Congregation B'nai Jeshurun...
. The first rabbi, Samuel Isaacs, was appointed in 1839. By 1850, the congregation had grown large enough to make it necessary to build a new synagogue on Green Street.
In 1865, the congregation moved yet again, to a new building on 34th Street, part of the site of the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
store. And, driven by the rapid expansion of the city, yet again in 1885 to Madison Avenue at 65th Street. That building was designed by Rafael Guastavino
Rafael Guastavino
Rafael Guastavino Moreno was a Valencian architect and builder, creator of the Guastavino tile, a "Tile Arch System" patented in the US in 1885. It is a technique for constructing robust, self-supporting arches and architectural vaults using interlocking terracotta tiles and layers of mortar...
and Schwarzmann & Buchman.
The present building, located at 257 West 88th Street between Broadway and West End Avenue
West End Avenue
West End Avenue is a north-south thoroughfare on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, not far from the Hudson River.West End Avenue originates at West 59th Street; the continuation of the street below 59th Street is called Eleventh Avenue. It runs from 59th Street to its...
was dedicated in 1917. It was designed by Henry B. Herts, a congregant and celebrated theater architect, with Walter S. Schneider. In addition to its place on 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...
, the synagogue was included in the New York City Riverside Drive-West End Historic District created in 1990. The muqarna-studded ceiling was redesigned following its collapse during renovations in the early 1990s and was replaced with a future-invoking space frame back-lit to simulate a nighttime sky http://ohny.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/field-trip-friday-congregation-bnai-jeshurun/.
Affiliation
B'nai Jeshurun took a leading role in founding the Board of Directors of American Israelites in 1859 and the Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaJewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
in 1886. When the Board of Delegates merged with the (Reform) Union of American Hebrew Congregations in 1878 the congregation went along, but in 1884 it left the Reform Movement to join the United Synagogue of America, now the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America...
. In 1889, the congregation published its own edition of the prayer book. In the 1990s the congregation left the Conservative movement and is now independent.
Contemporary
A spiritual and demographic renaissance began in 1985, with the arrival of Rabbi Marshall MeyerMarshall Meyer
Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer was an American-born Conservative rabbi and a recognized international human rights activist. Marshall Theodore Meyer was born in New York City and raised in Norwich, Conn. He attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1952...
.
Notable clergy and members
- Rabbi Judah Leon MagnesJudah Leon MagnesJudah Leon Magnes was a prominent Reform rabbi in both the United States and Palestine. He is best remembered as a leader pacifist movement of the World War I period and as one of the most widely recognized voices of 20th Century American Reform Judaism.-Biography:He was born in San Francisco,...
- Rabbi Stephen Samuel WiseStephen Samuel WiseStephen Samuel Wise was an Austro-Hungarian-born American Reform rabbi and Zionist leader.-Early life:...
- Rabbi Israel GoldsteinIsrael GoldsteinIsrael Goldstein was an American rabbi, author and Zionist leader. He was one of the founders of Brandeis University.Goldstein was the rabbi of Congregation B'nai Jeshurun in New York, the second oldest synagogue in the city, from 1918 until his immigration to Israel in 1960...
- Rabbi Marshall MeyerMarshall MeyerRabbi Marshall T. Meyer was an American-born Conservative rabbi and a recognized international human rights activist. Marshall Theodore Meyer was born in New York City and raised in Norwich, Conn. He attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1952...
- Rabbi Rolando Matalon