Kehila Kedosha Janina

Coordinates: 40°43′7″N 73°59′28″W / 40.71861°N 73.99111°W / 40.71861; -73.99111
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kehila Kedosha Janina
Classical Revival
  • Moorish Revival
    • Date established1906 (as a congregation)
    Completed1927
    Specifications
    Width20 feet (6.1 m)
    MaterialsBrick; stone
    Website
    kkjsm.org
    Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue
     No. 2143
    Map
    Arealess than one acre
    NRHP reference No.99001430
    NYCL No.2143
    Significant dates
    Added to NRHPNovember 30, 1999
    Designated NYCLMay 11, 2004
    [1]

    Kehila Kedosha Janina (Holy Community of Janina) is a

    Allen and Eldridge Streets in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, New York
    , in the United States.

    The synagogue is the only

    Romaniote rite synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Romaniote traditions are separate from those of both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Judaism, deriving their lineage in the Eastern Mediterranean for nearly 2000 years, long before the Spanish Inquisition.[2]

    The building was built between 1925 and 1927 and was designed by Sydney Daub

    New York City Landmark on May 11, 2004.[2]
    It underwent a major restoration in 2006 by architect Leonard Colchamiro, a descendant of one of the community's original founders.

    History

    Kehila Kedosha Janina is the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere.

    Bronx, and Brooklyn
    , though these communities are no longer active.

    Although the community has steadily dwindled since its pre-war heyday, services are still held on shabbat and Jewish holidays.[4] While it maintains a mailing list of 5,000 persons, it often has difficulty meeting the minyan for shabbat worship.[4] Guided tours are offered each Sunday to visitors and by special appointment.[4]

    The Janina

    Shoah
    .

    Building layout

    Kehila Kedosha Janina is somewhat unusual for a Romaniote synagogue in that it runs north south with the

    Ehal on the north side (Romaniote synagogues typically run east to west), the bimah is in the center of the main sanctuary (most Romaniote synagogues place the bimah on the west wall), and the internal stairway for the women's balcony. It is typical in the fact that men and women sit separately (a feature of all Orthodox synagogues). The second floor women's gallery contains a museum with artifacts, exhibits, and Judaica on Jewish life in Greece and the history of Greek Jews as well as a gift shop. Exhibited items are housed in cases along the walls on either side behind the seats, as well as in the area immediately in front of the staircase.[5][6]

    In popular culture

    A documentary film about the synagogue and community, The Last Greeks on Broome Street, was produced in the early 2000s. It is directed, written and narrated by Ed Askinazi, whose great-grandparents were among the congregation's founders.[7][8]

    See also

    References

    1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
    2. ^ a b c "Kehila Kedosha Janina Designation Report" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. May 11, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 11, 2010.
    3. ISBN 0-231-12543-7
      ., p. 123
    4. ^ a b c d Silver, Laura (June 18, 2008). "Spreading little-known history of Romaniote Jews". Daily News. New York.
    5. ^ Synagogue and Museum Tour Photo
    6. ^ Current Exhibits
    7. ^ Robinson, George (January 27, 2006). ""When Less Is More" - A short documentary on Romaniote Jews and a pithy drama about a Moroccan Jewish family are among the standouts at Sephardic film festival". The Jewish Week. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
    8. ^ "The Last Greeks on Broome Street (2005)". IMDB. Retrieved January 20, 2020.

    External links

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kehila_Kedosha_Janina&oldid=1190007225"