Congregation Beth Israel (Honesdale, Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
Congregation Beth Israel , a Reform
synagogue
located at 615 Court Street in Honesdale, Pennsylvania
. Founded in 1849 by German Jews
, its 1856 synagogue building was the smallest in the United States. The congregation was originally Orthodox, but rapidly moved to "Classical Reform"
. In the 1930s and 1940s an influx of more traditional Eastern Europe
an Jews prompted a change from Classical Reform to Traditional Reform.
The congregation was always small, and went through long periods where it had no rabbi
. During other periods, particularly from 1939 to 1954, rabbis' tenures were very short, often a year or less. The current rabbi, Allan L. Smith, has served the congregation for over 37 years.
. In the spring of 1849 the first Jewish family settled in Honesdale, and by the fall the congregation had been organized. By 1854 the congregation also had a Hebrew school
. Originally Orthodox
, the congregation moved rapidly to "Classical Reform"
. The congregation's first spiritual leader was a Rabbi Kutner.
Between 1880 and 1890 many Jewish families left Honesdale. The congregation was able to maintain a full-time local rabbi
until 1891, but could not afford one after that. Rabbis (typically student rabbis from the Reform Hebrew Union College
or Jewish Institute of Religion
) would officiate only at High Holiday and some festival
services. Other services were held on Friday nights, and were lay-led.
At the turn of the century and in the early 20th century, Honesdale had two synagogues, Beth Israel and Sherith Israel. Nevertheless, the Jewish community remained small; by 1918 there were only 29 Jews in Honesdale, Beth Israel was the only synagogue, and it had no rabbi. In the 1930s and 1940s an influx of more traditional Jews of Eastern Europe
an backgrounds prompted a slow change to more traditional practices (though still Reform). By 1942, the Jewish population of Honesdale had reached around 75. The bulk of the costs associated with running the synagogue were underwritten by Honesdale's Katz Underwear Company, with additional funds raised by the Temple Sisterhood.
From the late 1930s to the early 1950s the congregation was served by a series of short-tenured rabbis, typically serving one year or less. These included Joseph Friedman (1939), Baruch Braunstein (1940–1942), Hebrew Weiner (1943–1944), Rafield Helman (1945), Jay Robert Brinkman (1946), Morris Friedman (1947), Jerome Spivak (1948), Bernard Bamburger (1949), Samuel Volkman (1949), Abraham Granison (1949), Bernard Perlmutter (1950), Harold Spevak (1951), Bernard Zlotovitz (1952), Kenneth Rivkin (1953), Jerome Davidson (1954), and Julius Kravitz (1958). Beth Israel had no rabbi in the 1960s, and in the 1970s was served by Harvey Rosenfeld (1970–1971), Lewis Bogage (1972–1978), and Leonard Troop (1978). Bogage shared the duties with Allan L. Smith. Since 1979, Smith has served as rabbi on his own. The congregation celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1974, with rabbi and historian Jacob Rader Marcus
as speaker.
-style building, dedicated in 1856, was for many years the smallest synagogue in the United States, and possibly the world. Constructed of white clapboard
, it had a gold Star of David
at the tip of its spire
. The building held 50 to 85 people.
The land for the synagogue building was donated by a non-Jew, who also donated money towards its construction. The synagogue was built by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company to attract Jewish merchants. The company installed pew
s with kneeler
s underneath them, not realizing that Jews do not normally kneel in prayer. The congregation left them in, "partly as a gesture of recognition that they were installed in good faith". It is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States
; only Congregation Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
has been in the same building longer.
In 1933 "gothic type" stained glass
windows were added to the building. These were lost during a flood one Friday night in 1942, when the Lackawaxen River
overflowed its banks. An annex
was added in 1962, which, at the time caused great controversy among the members. The building underwent a restoration in 1985. The sanctuary is decorated with "a magnificent chandelier and Tiffany globe sconces
".
Alexander Schindler
was speaker at the 150th anniversary in 1999.
Beth Israel's current membership is "a combination of long time local residents, as well as those who have relocated to Northeastern Pennsylvania from nearby metropolitan areas such as New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Members come from Wayne
, Pike
, Monroe
, Lackawanna
, and Susquehanna
" counties. Unlike most Jewish congregations, Beth Israel does not require attendees to pay for High Holy Day tickets.
, the rabbi is Allan L. Smith. He has served the congregation for over 37 years, and for much of that time also served as the Director of the Youth Division of the Union for Reform Judaism.
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
located at 615 Court Street in Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale is a borough in and the county seat of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Scranton. The population was 4,874 at the 2000 census....
. Founded in 1849 by German Jews
History of the Jews in Germany
The presence of Jews in Germany has been established since the early 4th century. The community prospered under Charlemagne, but suffered during the Crusades...
, its 1856 synagogue building was the smallest in the United States. The congregation was originally Orthodox, but rapidly moved to "Classical Reform"
Pittsburgh Platform
The Pittsburgh Platform is a pivotal 19th century document in the history of the American Reform Movement in Judaism that called for Jews to adopt a modern approach to the practice of their faith...
. In the 1930s and 1940s an influx of more traditional Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an Jews prompted a change from Classical Reform to Traditional Reform.
The congregation was always small, and went through long periods where it had no rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. During other periods, particularly from 1939 to 1954, rabbis' tenures were very short, often a year or less. The current rabbi, Allan L. Smith, has served the congregation for over 37 years.
History
The congregation was founded by Jews of German backgroundHistory of the Jews in Germany
The presence of Jews in Germany has been established since the early 4th century. The community prospered under Charlemagne, but suffered during the Crusades...
. In the spring of 1849 the first Jewish family settled in Honesdale, and by the fall the congregation had been organized. By 1854 the congregation also had a Hebrew school
Hebrew school
Hebrew school can be either the Jewish equivalent of Sunday school - an educational regimen separate from secular education, focusing on topics of Jewish history and learning the Hebrew language, or a primary, secondary or college level educational institution where some or all of the classes are...
. Originally Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, the congregation moved rapidly to "Classical Reform"
Pittsburgh Platform
The Pittsburgh Platform is a pivotal 19th century document in the history of the American Reform Movement in Judaism that called for Jews to adopt a modern approach to the practice of their faith...
. The congregation's first spiritual leader was a Rabbi Kutner.
Between 1880 and 1890 many Jewish families left Honesdale. The congregation was able to maintain a full-time local rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
until 1891, but could not afford one after that. Rabbis (typically student rabbis from the Reform Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
or Jewish Institute of Religion
Jewish Institute of Religion
The Jewish Institute of Religion was an educational establishment created by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise in 1922 in New York City. While generally incorporating Reform Judaism, it was separate from the previously established Hebrew Union College...
) would officiate only at High Holiday and some festival
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
services. Other services were held on Friday nights, and were lay-led.
At the turn of the century and in the early 20th century, Honesdale had two synagogues, Beth Israel and Sherith Israel. Nevertheless, the Jewish community remained small; by 1918 there were only 29 Jews in Honesdale, Beth Israel was the only synagogue, and it had no rabbi. In the 1930s and 1940s an influx of more traditional Jews of Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an backgrounds prompted a slow change to more traditional practices (though still Reform). By 1942, the Jewish population of Honesdale had reached around 75. The bulk of the costs associated with running the synagogue were underwritten by Honesdale's Katz Underwear Company, with additional funds raised by the Temple Sisterhood.
From the late 1930s to the early 1950s the congregation was served by a series of short-tenured rabbis, typically serving one year or less. These included Joseph Friedman (1939), Baruch Braunstein (1940–1942), Hebrew Weiner (1943–1944), Rafield Helman (1945), Jay Robert Brinkman (1946), Morris Friedman (1947), Jerome Spivak (1948), Bernard Bamburger (1949), Samuel Volkman (1949), Abraham Granison (1949), Bernard Perlmutter (1950), Harold Spevak (1951), Bernard Zlotovitz (1952), Kenneth Rivkin (1953), Jerome Davidson (1954), and Julius Kravitz (1958). Beth Israel had no rabbi in the 1960s, and in the 1970s was served by Harvey Rosenfeld (1970–1971), Lewis Bogage (1972–1978), and Leonard Troop (1978). Bogage shared the duties with Allan L. Smith. Since 1979, Smith has served as rabbi on his own. The congregation celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1974, with rabbi and historian Jacob Rader Marcus
Jacob Rader Marcus
Jacob Rader Marcus was a scholar of Jewish history and a Reform rabbi. Born in New Haven, Pennsylvania, United States, into a traditional Jewish family, Marcus became interested in Reform Judaism at the age of 15. At that time, he travelled to Hebrew Union College , in Cincinnati, Ohio, to begin...
as speaker.
Building
Beth Israel's Colonial meeting houseColonial meeting house
In colonial New England, there was little distinction between faith and community. Each community built a meeting house, usually but not always through taxation, and these were used for both religious worship and town business. They were the central focus of the community, and were an important...
-style building, dedicated in 1856, was for many years the smallest synagogue in the United States, and possibly the world. Constructed of white clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
, it had a gold Star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
at the tip of its spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. The building held 50 to 85 people.
The land for the synagogue building was donated by a non-Jew, who also donated money towards its construction. The synagogue was built by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company to attract Jewish merchants. The company installed pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s with kneeler
Kneeler
Kneeler is a piece of furniture used for resting in a kneeling position.-Prayer kneeler:In many churches, pews are equipped with kneelers in front of the seating bench so members of the congregation can kneel on them instead of the floor...
s underneath them, not realizing that Jews do not normally kneel in prayer. The congregation left them in, "partly as a gesture of recognition that they were installed in good faith". It is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States
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...
; only Congregation Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
Congregation Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
Congregation Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim is a historic synagogue located at 90 Hasell Street in Charleston, South Carolina...
has been in the same building longer.
In 1933 "gothic type" stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were added to the building. These were lost during a flood one Friday night in 1942, when the Lackawaxen River
Lackawaxen River
The Lackawaxen River is a tributary of the Delaware River in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. The river flows through a largely rural area in the northern Pocono Mountains, draining an area of approximately ....
overflowed its banks. An annex
Annex
Annex or Annexe may refer to:* Annex , a Marvel Comics character* Annex, an early name for the Bangkok Adventist Hospital* Annex, addendum or appendix at the end of a book or report* Annex, an addition or extension...
was added in 1962, which, at the time caused great controversy among the members. The building underwent a restoration in 1985. The sanctuary is decorated with "a magnificent chandelier and Tiffany globe sconces
Tiffany lamp
A Tiffany lamp is a type of lamp with many different types of glass shade. The most famous was the stained leaded glass lamp. Tiffany lamps are considered part of the Art Nouveau movement.- History :...
".
Recent events
Rabbi and head of the Union for Reform JudaismUnion 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...
Alexander Schindler
Alexander Schindler
Alexander Schindler was a rabbi and the leading figure of American Reform Judaism during the 1970s and 1980s.Born in Germany, he came to America with his family at age 12...
was speaker at the 150th anniversary in 1999.
Beth Israel's current membership is "a combination of long time local residents, as well as those who have relocated to Northeastern Pennsylvania from nearby metropolitan areas such as New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Members come from Wayne
Wayne County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,722 people, 18,350 households, and 12,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile . There were 30,593 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
, Pike
Pike County, Pennsylvania
-National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River * Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
, Monroe
Monroe County, Pennsylvania
-National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there are 176,567 people, 49,454 households, and 36,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 228 people per square mile...
, Lackawanna
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 465 people per square mile . There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 per square mile...
, and Susquehanna
Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,238 people, 16,529 households, and 11,785 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 21,829 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
" counties. Unlike most Jewish congregations, Beth Israel does not require attendees to pay for High Holy Day tickets.
, the rabbi is Allan L. Smith. He has served the congregation for over 37 years, and for much of that time also served as the Director of the Youth Division of the Union for Reform Judaism.