Английская Википедия:Congregation Shearith Israel

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Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Other uses Шаблон:Use mdy dates Шаблон:Infobox religious building

The Congregation Shearith Israel (Шаблон:Lang-he), often called The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue located at 2 West 70th Street, at Central Park West, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States.

Established in 1654 in New Amsterdam by Jews who arrived from Dutch Brazil, it is the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States.[1] Until 1825, when Jewish immigrants from Germany established a congregation, it was the only Jewish congregation in New York City.

The Orthodox congregation follows the Sephardic rite, and has occupied its current Neoclassical building since 1897.[2]

Founding and synagogue buildings

The first group of Spanish and Portuguese Jews were twenty-three refugees from Dutch Brazil, who arrived in New Amsterdam in September 1654. After being initially rebuffed by anti-Semitic Director of New Netherland Peter Stuyvesant, Jews were given official permission to settle in the colony in 1655. This year marks the founding of the Congregation Shearith Israel. Although they were allowed to stay in New Amsterdam, they faced discrimination and were not given permission to worship in a public synagogue for some time (throughout the Dutch period and into the British). The Congregation did, however, make arrangements for a cemetery beginning in 1656.

It was not until 1730 that the Congregation was able to build a synagogue of its own; it was built on Mill Street (now William Street) in lower Manhattan. The Mill Street synagogue was said to have had access to a nearby spring which it used as a mikveh for ritual baths.[3] Before 1730, as noted on a 1695 map of New York, the congregation worshipped in rented quarters on Beaver Street and subsequently on Mill Street. Since 1730 the Congregation has worshipped in five synagogue buildings:

  1. Mill Street, 1730
  2. Mill Street rebuilt and expanded, 1818
  3. 60 Crosby Street, 1834
  4. 19th Street, 1860
  5. West 70th Street, 1897 (present building)

The current building was extensively refurbished in 1921.[4]

Founding major Jewish institutions

As the American Reform Judaism made headway in the late 19th century, many rabbis critical of the Reform movement looked for ways to strengthen traditional synagogues. Shearith Israel, and its rabbi, Henry Pereira Mendes, were at the fore of these efforts. Rabbi Mendes cofounded the American Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in 1886, in order to train traditional rabbis. The school held its first classes at Shearith Israel. In JTS' earliest days, it taught and researched rabbinics similarly as was done in traditional yeshivas, in contrast to the Reform Hebrew Union College.

Twelve years later, in 1896, Mendes was acting president of JTS. He promoted the formation[5] of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (commonly known as the OU, the Orthodox Union). This synagogue umbrella group provided an alternative to the Reform movement's Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

As JTS grew, it needed better financing and a full-time head. The seminary moved to its own building, and Mendes was replaced by Solomon Schechter. However, Schechter developed a less traditional approach, which became the basis for Conservative Judaism (called Masorti outside North America). Initially there was considerable cooperation between the Orthodox and Conservative groups but, over time, the divide became clearer.

Schechter formed the United Synagogue of America (now the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, or USCJ) to promote synagogue affiliation with his conservative ideology.[6]

Shearith Israel remained aligned with the Orthodox tradition. It eventually repudiated its association with JTS. In a sense, Shearith Israel helped create three of the largest and most significant Jewish religious organizations in the United States: JTS, the OU, and USCJ. Shearith Israel remains a member only of the Orthodox Union.

Clergy

Rabbis

The following individuals have served as rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel:

Order Name Term started Term ended Time in office Notes
Шаблон:Nts Benjamin Wolf [7]
Шаблон:Nts Шаблон:Nowrap Not ordained: Hazzan of the Congregation and an ardent American patriot; he moved the Congregation to Philadelphia after the British occupied the city during the American Revolutionary War.
Шаблон:Nts Moses L. M. Peixotto Not ordained[8]
Шаблон:Nts Isaac B. Seixas 1828 1839 Шаблон:Age in years years [8]
Шаблон:Nts Jacques Judah Lyons 1839 1877 Шаблон:Age in years years
Шаблон:Nts Шаблон:Nowrap 1877 1920 Шаблон:Age in years years
Шаблон:Nts David de Sola Pool 1907 1919 Шаблон:Nowrap Hired as assistant rabbi in 1907, and left in 1919. A year later, Mendes retired, and the synagogue went through a succession of candidates until he returned in 1921. Herbert Goldstein was announced as rabbi, but did not actually take the pulpit. Reverend Joseph Corcos was appointed interim rabbi.[9][4]
1921 1955
Шаблон:Nts Louis B. Gerstein 1956 1988 Шаблон:Age in years years
Шаблон:Nts Marc D. Angel 1969 2007 Шаблон:Age in years years
Шаблон:Nts Hayyim Angel 1995 2013 Шаблон:Age in years years
Шаблон:Nts Meir Soloveichik 2013 incumbent Шаблон:Age in years years

Parnasim

Notable parnasim include Luis Moises Gomez, Israel Baer Kursheedt, and Alvin Deutsch (1997–2001).[10]

Hazanim

Notable hazanim include Gershom Mendes Seixas (1768–1776 and 1784–1816), Isaac Touro (1780), Jacques Judah Lyons (1839–1877), DanAbraham Lopes Cardozo (1946–1986),[11] Daniel Halfon (1978-1980) and Albert Gabbai (1983–1986).

Prominent members

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Gallery

See also

Шаблон:Portal

References

Citations

Шаблон:Reflist

Sources

External links

Шаблон:Upper West Side Шаблон:Synagogues in the United States Шаблон:Authority control