Congregation Beth Elohim

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Beth Elohim Synagogue.
Beth Elohim Synagogue.

Congregation Beth Elohim, also known as the Garfield Temple, is a Reform synagogue currently located at 274 Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue, in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. It is the "oldest Brooklyn congregation that continues to function under its corporate name,"[1] and its pulpit is the oldest in continuous use in any Brooklyn synagogue.[2]

The synagogue was founded on September 29, 1861 by 41 German Jews at Granada Hall on Myrtle Avenue, members of Baith Israel Synagogue who had become disaffected after they attempted and failed to reform practice there.[3] While searching for a permanent location, the congregation continued to meet and hold services at Granada Hall. Men and women sat together, and services were conducted in German and Hebrew. Within a few months, a church on Pearl Street, between Nasau and Concord, was purchased for $5,100 and renovated. The new building was dedicated on March 30, 1862.

Sanctuary interior.
Sanctuary interior.

By 1882 the congregation had grown to over 80 members, and new accommodations were sought. A church on State Street, near Hoyt, was eventually purchased, and the building dedicated in 1885. In the new location a number of changes were gradually made to the services; English slowly replaced German in the services, and an organ and choir were added.[4]

Temple House.
Temple House.

In 1909 the congregation moved to its current location at Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue. The building, built in the Classical Revival style, has five sides, representing the 5 books of Moses.[2] In 1929 the congregation built the six-story Temple House on the opposite corner. During the Great Depression the synagogue experienced financial difficulties, and its membership decreased significantly.[4]

It is currently the largest Reform synagogue in Brooklyn, with over 1000 members.

As of 2006, the rabbi was Andrew Bachman.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Origins, Synagogue website. URL accessed May 25, 2006.
  2. ^ a b Bergman, Edward F. The Spiritual Traveler, Hidden Spring, p. 314. ISBN 1-58768-003-3
  3. ^ Kerry M. Olitzky, Marc Lee Raphael. The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook, Greenwood Press, Jun 30, 1996. p. 226. ISBN 0-313-28856-9
  4. ^ a b Kerry M. Olitzky, Marc Lee Raphael. The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook, Greenwood Press, Jun 30, 1996. p. 228. ISBN 0-313-28856-9

[edit] External link

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