Congregation Beth Israel (Lebanon, Pennsylvania)
Congregation Beth Israel | |
---|---|
Unaffiliated | |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
Leadership | Rabbi Samuel W. Yolen |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | 411 South Eighth Street, Lebanon, Pennsylvania |
Country | United States |
Location in Pennsylvania | |
Geographic coordinates | 40°20′00″N 76°25′26″W / 40.333341°N 76.423811°W |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Percival Goodman |
Type | Synagogue architecture |
Date established | 1907 (as a congregation) |
Completed | 1953 |
Capacity | 200 worshipers |
Website | |
congregation-beth-israel | |
[1][2][3][4] |
Congregation Beth Israel (
The congregation's current building, designed by Percival Goodman to mirror the barns of the surrounding Pennsylvania Dutch community, was dedicated in 1953.[2][3]
Rabbi Samuel W. Yolen, a graduate of The Academy of Jewish Religion in New York, is the current spiritual leader.[citation needed]
Early history
Beth Israel was formed in 1907 as a
In 1915, when the membership reached 25, the congregation purchased a house on the southeast corner of Cumberland and Old Cumberland Streets. Beth Israel moved to the third floor of the Samler Building at Eight and Cumberland Streets in 1918, where they remained for over a decade.[5][7] At the time of the move, the "rabbi-cantor" was Alter B. Freedman, the synagogue had 35 member families, and its annual income was $1,500 (today $30,000).[8] The religious school held classes five days a week, and had 25 pupils. By 1929 membership had reached 90, and Beth Israel purchased the empty Emanuel Evangelical Church at 624 Chestnut Street.[5][7]
The congregation moved to its current location, at 4111 South Eighth Street, in 1953.[3] The building, designed by synagogue architect Percival Goodman, was intended to mirror the surrounding community; as Lebanon was a region heavily populated by Pennsylvania Dutch farmers, he designed the synagogue as "a barn-style white building with Hebrew lettering on the facade."[2]
1970 to 2006
Steven M. Glazer joined the synagogue as rabbi in 1970, upon his graduation from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He served until 1977, when he moved to Temple Beth-El of Birmingham, Alabama. At the time Beth Israel had 120 member families.[9]
Louis Zivic joined as the congregation's rabbi and principal of the religious school in 1983.[10][11] Psychologist Julie Allender, his former wife (they divorced in 1998),[12] described the constraints involved in being a rabbi's wife in a Summer 1983 article in the Women's League of Conservative Judaism's Outlook magazine, and was cited in subsequent studies of rabbi's wives by Shuly Rubin Schwartz.[13][14]
Zivic was a signator of an official protest letter in 2001 to President
In 2001, Beth Israel was also the recipient of the Solomon Schechter Gold Award for libraries.[1][18]
Zivic served until 2004.
Recent events
Panitz was succeeded by
While serving as rabbi of Beth Israel, Reimers also served as the Jewish chaplain at
Until 2008, Congregation Beth Israel was affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism;[28] that year it chose to resign from the organization.[29] As of 2010[update], it was the only synagogue in the Lebanon area.[6] The rabbi was Paula Reimers and the president was Judith Clark.[1]
See also
- Jewish history in Pennsylvania
Notes
- ^ a b c d Synagogue website.
- ^ a b c Goodman et al. (2001), p. 175.
- ^ a b c A Bit of History Archived 2006-02-05 at the Wayback Machine, Synagogue website.
- ^ a b c About Us Archived 2006-02-19 at the Wayback Machine, Synagogue website.
- ^ a b c d e Brener (1979), p. 156.
- ^ a b Beth Israel Today Archived 2006-02-05 at the Wayback Machine, Synagogue website.
- ^ a b Shenk (1930), p. 161.
- ^ American Jewish Year Book, Vol. 21, p. 544.
- ^ Rabbi Steve's Corner: Bio Archived 2008-09-21 at the Wayback Machine, About Us, Beth Emeth of Herndon, Virginia website.
- ^ a b Rubin Schwartz (2006), p. 269, footnote 39.
- ^ Rabbi Louis Zivic Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine, Heska Amuna of Knoxville, Tennessee website.
- ^ Rubin Schwartz (2006), p. 270, footnote 48.
- ^ Rubin Schwartz (2006), pp. 179-180.
- ^ Rubin Schwartz (2001), p. 261, footnote 1.
- ^ ""An Open Letter to President Bush and Congress from America's Clergy"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-02. (101 KB), Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, House of Representatives website, May 16, 2001.
- ^ Dr Allender
- ^ Education Archived 2008-10-21 at the Wayback Machine, 2001 Report on Anti-Catholicism, Catholic League.
- ^ The Solomon Schechter Awards Program Archived 2009-08-05 at the Wayback Machine, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism website.
- ^ a b The New York Times, April 3, 2005.
- ^ a b Rifkin (2005).
- ^ Lebanon Valley College News, March 3, 2006.
- ^ Goldsmith (2001).
- ^ A Bit About Me Archived 2011-08-13 at the Wayback Machine, From the Study of the Rabbi, Synagogue website.
- ^ Gruenbaum Fax (2002).
- ^ Meet the Staff[permanent dead link], Spiritual Life, Lebanon Valley College website.
- ^ "The 2007 Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast", Capitol Ministries: Making disciples for Jesus Christ in state legislatures, JewsOnFirst website.
- ^ Reimers (2007).
- ^ Affiliated Congregations, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism website.
- ^ "Minutes of The United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism Joint Executive Committee and Board of Directors Meeting, December 21, 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2009. (34.9 KB), p. 3.
References
- Synagogue website. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- About Us, Synagogue website. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- A Bit of History, Synagogue website. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- Beth Israel Today, Synagogue website. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- A Bit About Me, From the Study of the Rabbi, Synagogue website. February 28, 2010.
- Rabbi Steve's Corner: Bio, About Us, Beth Emeth of Herndon, Virginia website. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- Rabbi Louis Zivic Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine, Heska Amuna of Knoxville, Tennessee website. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- "The 2007 Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast", Capitol Ministries: Making disciples for Jesus Christ in state legislatures, JewsOnFirst website. Archived at the Internet Archive. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- ""An Open Letter to President Bush and Congress from America's Clergy"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-08-02. (101 KB), Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, House of Representatives website, May 16, 2001. Accessed October 26, 2008.
- Meet the Staff[permanent dead link], Spiritual Life, Lebanon Valley College website. Accessed August 18, 2009.
- Affiliated Congregations, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism website. Archived at the Internet Archive. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- The Solomon Schechter Awards Program, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism website. Accessed August 18, 2009.
- "Minutes of The United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism Joint Executive Committee and Board of Directors Meeting, December 21, 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 5, 2009. (34.9 KB), United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism website. Accessed February 28, 2010.
- American Jewish Committee. ""Directories"" (PDF). (6.06 MB), American Jewish Year Book, Jewish Publication Society, Volume 21 (1919–1920).
- Brener, David A. The Jews of Lancaster, Pennsylvania: A Story with Two Beginnings, Congregation Shaarai Shomayim, 1979.
- Goldsmith, Aleeza. "From Jew-by-choice to rabbi: Women forging new paths", J. The Jewish News of Northern California,August 3, 2001.
- ISBN 1-884919-09-X
- Gruenbaum Fax, Julie. "The Silencing of the Left? How the quest for a united front may quash the debate on Israel.", The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, September 26, 2002.
- "Purim Banquet at LVC to Celebrate Jewish Traditions", Lebanon Valley College News, March 3, 2006.
- "Weddings/Celebrations; Zimra Panitz, Adam Shlechter", The New York Times, Fashion and Style Section, April 3, 2005.
- Reimers, Paula. ""2007 Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast"" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2007-12-18.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) (17.7 KB), JewsOnFirst website, May 17, 2007. Archived at the Internet Archive. Accessed February 28, 2010. - Rifkin, Ira. "U.S. Navy gets a Jewish chapel", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, August 29, 2005.
- Rubin Schwartz, Shuly, "Ambassadors without Portfolio? The Religious Leadership of Rebbetzins in Late-Twentieth-Century American Life", in Nadell, Pamela Susan & Sarna, Jonathan D. Women and American Judaism: Historical Perspectives, ISBN 1-58465-124-5
- Rubin Schwartz, Shuly. The Rabbi's Wife: The Rebbetzin in American Jewish Life, ISBN 0-8147-4016-2
- Shenk, Hiram Herr. A History of the Lebanon Valley in Pennsylvania, The National Historical Association, 1930.
External links
- Official website
- Zivic, Louis (September 1985). "Rabbis: Readers' Letters". Commentary.