Congregation Shaare Zedek (New York City)
Encyclopedia
Congregation Shaare Zedek (Gates of righteousness) is a Conservative
synagogue
located on West 93rd Street in Manhattan
.
in New York City
. The congregation originally met at 38 Henry Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side
. In 1850, it purchased a building at 38 Henry Street (still on the Lower East Side) that was originally built by a Quaker congregation in 1828 that had been converted for use as a synagogue by congregation Ansche Chesed
in 1840. The congregation replaced this building with a new building on the same property in 1891 and in 1900 opened a branch synagogue at 25 West 118th Street in the newly-fashionable neighborhood of Harlem
. The building is now a church. The Henry Street building was sold to Congregation Mishkan Israel Anshei Suwalk in 1911.
Shaare Zedek's present, elaborate, Neoclassical
building was designed by the architecture firm of Sommerfeld and Steckler and built in 1922-1923.
Over the years, Shaare Zedek has been home to some of the country's great rabbis including Philip R. Alstat
, Israel Goldfarb, and Isaac Kurtzlow along with such esteemed cantors as Frank Birnbaum
and Martin Kozlowsky. Since 2009, the congregation has been led by Rabbi William Plevan. Although Shaare Zedek was the last Conservative synagogue in the area to allow fully egalitarian worship, women now participate in every aspect of the service and the congregation was recently served by a female rabbi. While preserving the traditional liturgy quite closely and committing to a fairly strict observance of Jewish law, the community is generally politically and socially progressive.
The 2000 comedy film, Keeping the Faith
included scenes from Shaare Zedek's interior.
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
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 on West 93rd Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
History
Founded in 1837, by Polish Jews, Shaare Zedek is the third oldest Jewish congregationOldest 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...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The congregation originally met at 38 Henry Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. In 1850, it purchased a building at 38 Henry Street (still on the Lower East Side) that was originally built by a Quaker congregation in 1828 that had been converted for use as a synagogue by congregation 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...
in 1840. The congregation replaced this building with a new building on the same property in 1891 and in 1900 opened a branch synagogue at 25 West 118th Street in the newly-fashionable neighborhood of Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. The building is now a church. The Henry Street building was sold to Congregation Mishkan Israel Anshei Suwalk in 1911.
Shaare Zedek's present, elaborate, Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
building was designed by the architecture firm of Sommerfeld and Steckler and built in 1922-1923.
Over the years, Shaare Zedek has been home to some of the country's great rabbis including Philip R. Alstat
Philip R. Alstat
Philip Reis Alstat was a well-known American Conservative rabbi, teacher, chaplain, speaker and writer. Born in Kaunas , Lithuania, he came to the United States in 1898, studying at City College of New York , Columbia University , and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America , where he received...
, Israel Goldfarb, and Isaac Kurtzlow along with such esteemed cantors as Frank Birnbaum
Frank Birnbaum
William Franklin "Frank" Birnbaum was a well-known 20th century chazzan within Conservative Judaism in the United States. Serving congregations and performing concerts across America, his music was well-known for its eclectic and melodious nature...
and Martin Kozlowsky. Since 2009, the congregation has been led by Rabbi William Plevan. Although Shaare Zedek was the last Conservative synagogue in the area to allow fully egalitarian worship, women now participate in every aspect of the service and the congregation was recently served by a female rabbi. While preserving the traditional liturgy quite closely and committing to a fairly strict observance of Jewish law, the community is generally politically and socially progressive.
The 2000 comedy film, Keeping the Faith
Keeping the Faith
Keeping the Faith is a 2000 American romantic comedy film, written by Stuart Blumberg and directed by Edward Norton. This film was released by Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, in association with Triple Threat Talent on April 14, 2000....
included scenes from Shaare Zedek's interior.