Temple B'Nai Israel (Olean, New York)
| Temple B'Nai Israel (former) | |
|---|---|
deconsecrated | |
| Location | |
| Location | 127 S. Barry Street, Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York |
  Location in New York | |
| Geographic coordinates | 42°04′34.5″N 78°25′39″W / 42.076250°N 78.42750°W |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | J. Milton Hurd |
| Founder | Harris W. Marcus |
| Date established | 1894 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1929 |
Temple B'Nai Israel | |
| Area | less than one acre |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000995[1] |
| Added to NRHP | January 4, 2012 |
Temple B'Nai Israel is a
History
The congregation was established by Harris W. Marcus, a native of
The membership was down to 23 families as of 2017. B'Nai Israel continued to hold its twice-monthly regular services at the time, but it was said to be in danger of closing within a decade due to the ongoing exodus of young people from the Olean region.[5] Since deconsecrating its synagogue in 2020, it has rented space in the former Saint John's School on North Union Street for services.[3]
Heritage building
B'Nai Israel's synagogue building from 1929 to 2019 was a three- to four-story tall, light brown brick structure with
In July 2019, the synagogue announced that it would be closing after Yom Kippur services that fall as it sought to rent a smaller facility.[6] A zoning variance was unanimously approved in August to allow the deconsecration.[7] A Torah originally donated to the congregation was reunited with a family member of the original donor in 2019, Oscar Rosenbloom Jr., who then donated it to Camp Towonga, a Jewish youth summer camp outside Yosemite National Park in Northern California.[4] The temple was formally deconsecrated in December 2020; attendance had fallen even further by then, with only 16 families attending the high holiday services, which are the most-attended services on the calendar.[3]
The building was sold to a local
References
- ^ a b c "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 1/03/12 through 1/06/12. National Park Service. January 13, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Virginia L. Bartos (October 2011). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Temple B'Nai Israel". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved April 20, 2013. See also: "Accompanying six photos".
- ^ a b c d Day-Sager, Kate (December 9, 2020). "Temple B'Nai Israel to conduct last service in synagogue Sunday". Olean Times Herald. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Sacred Torah passes from Olean to youth camp in Calif". Olean Times Herald. July 13, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ^ Dinki, Tom. "Dwindling B’Nai Israel congregation celebrates Rosh Hashanah", Olean Times Herald, September 21, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2018
- ^ Clark, Bob (July 8, 2019). "Olean Community Theatre eyes Temple B'Nai Israel as new home". Olean Times Herald. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
- ^ "Olean Board Approves Theater Project".
External links
