Congregation Beth Elohim
Congregation Beth Elohim was founded on September 29, 1861 by 41 German and Bohemian Jews. It was a more liberal breakaway from Congregation Baith Israel. By 2006, Beth ElOHim had over 1,000 members, and, as of 2009, it was the oldest Brooklyn congregation that continues to function under its corporate name. It now has more than 1,200 members, including more than 100 children.
About Congregation Beth Elohim in brief
Congregation Beth Elohim was founded on September 29, 1861 by 41 German and Bohemian Jews at Granada Hall on Myrtle Avenue. It was a more liberal breakaway from Congregation Baith Israel. The congregation completed its current Classical Revival synagogue building in 1910 and its \”Jewish Deco\” Temple House in 1929. In 2009, it was listed by Newsweek as one of America’s 25 \”Most Vibrant\” Jewish congregations. It is the largest and most active Reform congregation in Brooklyn, and its pulpit is the oldest in continuous use in any Brooklyn synagogue. The synagogue name was chosen by a vote of the membership, and the services were led by George Brandenstein, who served as cantor, and was paid USD 150 a year. In April 1883, the congregation attempted an amalgamation, but failed when the members could not agree on synagogue ritual, and two of the three congregations would have to split the price of their pews in price of the existing buildings. In 1884, the offices of Temple Israel were split, and after being unable to serve for six months, the rabbi and cantor were replaced by Solomon Mosche, who was able to continue to serve as rabbi for six more months. By 2006, Beth ElOHim had over 1,000 members, and, as of 2009, it was the oldest Brooklyn congregation that continues to function under its corporate name. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its Classical Revival buildings.
The building is listed as a New York City Landmark district and listed on New York State Landmark District #1. The two buildings are contributing properties to the Park Slope historic district, which is listed on State Register #1 and National Register #2. The bank almost foreclosed on its buildings in 1946. Membership dropped significantly in the 1930s because of the Depression, grew after World War II, and dropped again in the 1960s and 1970s as a result of demographic shifts. In the 1990s, programs for young children helped draw Jewish families back into the neighborhood and revitalize the membership. It still hovered around 50-50 around 50 members at that time, and at 100th birthday of Moses Montefiore. It now has more than 1,200 members, including more than 100 children. It also has a Jewish day school, which was founded in 1869. It currently has a Sunday school for boys and girls, and an adult day school for men and women, which began in 1868. It recently opened a women’s center for women and men, and a men’s day center for men, as well as an adult men’s center, which opened in 1894. It holds a Jewish heritage museum, which includes a collection of Jewish artifacts from around the world, including a Torah scroll from the 4th century. The temple is located at 274 Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue, in the ParkSlope neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York.
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This page is based on the article Congregation Beth Elohim published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 08, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
