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Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center

December 04, 2023

Not to be confused with the Jewish Center, an Orthodox synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
For similarly named synagogues, see Beth Israel.

Congregation Beth Israel / West Side Jewish Center / Hudson Yards Synagogue is an Orthodox congregation located at 347 West 34th Street, Manhattan, New York, in the Garment District,[2] near Penn Station.[3] Established in 1890, it constructed its current building in 1924–1925.[3] Rabbis have included Joseph Schick,[5] Norman Lamm,[6] and Solomon Kahane.[7] As of 2019, the rabbi was Jason Herman.[1]

West Side Jewish Center
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
LeadershipRabbi: Jason Herman[1]
StatusActive
Location
Location347 West 34th Street,
Manhattan, New York,
 United States[2]
Geographic coordinates40°45′11″N 73°59′43″W / 40.75302°N 73.995388°W / 40.75302; -73.995388
Architecture
Architect(s)Gronenberg & Leuchtag[3]
StyleNeoclassical[4]
Groundbreaking1924[3]
Completed1925[3]
Website
westsidejewishcenter.org

Early history edit

Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center was established in 1890[8] by Orthodox German Jews and Jews from Austria-Hungary.[9] In its early years the congregation worshiped at 252 West 35th Street,[9][10] a building later purchased by St. Paul Baptist Church.[3]

In 1905, the congregation constructed a new synagogue building at 252 West 35th Street, designed by architect John H. Knubel.[3] Its sanctuary sat 600.[9] In 1924, it broke ground for its current three-story building at 347 West 34th Street.[3] The "somber" neoclassical building,[4] designed by Gronenberg & Leuchtag, was completed in 1925.[3]

Dr. Joseph Schick became rabbi in 1926.[5] Born in Ónod in Austria-Hungary in 1892, he served as a chaplain in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I, and was the rabbi of Budapest's Beth Israel synagogue of 1918 to 1922, then emigrated to the United States. His books The Kaddish: Its Power for Good and Joseph's Harvest were published in 1928 and 1932 respectively.[11] He served until his death in 1938, at age 49.[5]

Schick was succeeded in 1939 by Harry M. Katzen[12] and then William Novack,[13] and then in 1940 by Leo Ginsburg.[14]

1950s to 2000 edit

In 1952, Norman Lamm, later president of Yeshiva University for over 25 years, was appointed to the role.[6] He would serve until 1958, before moving to the (unrelated) Upper West Side Jewish Center.[15]

 
Billboard for the film Angels & Demons on the side of the synagogue building

Solomon (Shlomo) Kahane, ordained in 1954 at Yeshiva University, was subsequently rabbi of the congregation for 38 years and widely considered the synagogue's most prominent Rabbi. He died in April, 2004.[7][16] He was a first cousin of Rabbi Meir Kahane, the founder of the Jewish Defense League and the Israeli political party Kach. The Jewish Defense League's first meeting was held at the West Side Jewish Center on June 18, 1968.[17][18]

Events since 2000 edit

Kahane was succeeded by Dr. Richard Weiss.[19] A licensed physician, Rabbi Weiss subsequently became rabbi of Young Israel of Hillcrest in Queens.[20]

Jason Herman succeeded Weiss as the congregation's spiritual leader.[21][22] Herman received a degree at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. He is the Executive Director of the International Rabbinic Fellowship, serves as an officer of the New York Board of Rabbis and the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition, is the founder of the Israel Academic Institute and is a past fellow at Rabbis Without Borders.[1] Known for his activism, he was one of 22 Rabbis arrested at the United Nations in 2007 after a protest demanding Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad be barred from speaking to the General Assembly.[21][22] In 2008, he was one of a group of individuals who boycotted kosher meat from Agriprocessors over concerns that the company's practices were unethical.[23]

The synagogue was in the news in 2007. The congregation rents the entire side of its building for advertisements and parking and that year it was covered with a huge billboard for the film Resident Evil: Extinction. The image did not offend any members, according to Herman, and the congregation who mainly found out after the fact, we’re convinced that the additional income generated by the billboard helpful for maintaining the building.[24]

In 2015 the congregation began a multi-year process with architect Esther Sperber to explore options for renovating the synagogue building. At one point it considered a proposal to demolish the existing structure, and replace it with a large, multi-story multi-use synagogue and condominium. However, in 2016 Herman, and the congregation president, stated that the membership had "quite overwhelmingly rejected any plans for demolition of our current synagogue building and any plan we might pursue will preserve our existing synagogue structure". The president stated that congregation would instead probably renovate the existing structure so that it conformed with current building codes, and develop the synagogue-owned parking lot next to the building.[25] A recent article written in the JTA detailed some of these plans as of 2019.

Herman discovered in 2017 that his name had been added to a "blacklist" of 160 rabbis whose credentials were rejected for the purposes of certifying to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel that individuals in Israel claiming to be Jewish were, in fact, Jewish. He surmised that it was because of a letter he had written in 2012 vouching for a non-Orthodox Jewish woman. Oddly, after a different married rabbi vouched for the individual, the Rabbinate allowed Herman to officiate at the wedding.[26][27]

In 2016, the synagogue began using the additional name Hudson Yards Synagogue.


Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c Rabbi's Page, Synagogue website.
  2. ^ a b Synagogue website.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Dunlap (2004), p. 23.
  4. ^ a b Levitt (2015), p. 124.
  5. ^ a b c The New York Times, March 18, 1938, p. 19.
  6. ^ a b The New York Times, November 22, 1952, p. 14.
  7. ^ a b The New York Times, April 20, 2004.
  8. ^ According to Dunlap (2004), p. 23 and The American Hebrew, Vol. 47 Iss. 2 states that the congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 25, 1940. American Jewish Year Book, Vol. 21, p. 460 gives the founding date as 1885, and History, Synagogue website gives the founding date as "Sometime in the mid-1880s".
  9. ^ a b c History, Synagogue website.
  10. ^ American Jewish Year Book, Vol. 21, p. 460.
  11. ^ Rosenstein (1990), p. 143.
  12. ^ The New York Times, February 13, 1939, p. 2
  13. ^ The New York Times, September 15, 1939, p. 20.
  14. ^ The New York Times, April 26, 1940, Sports section p. 33.
  15. ^ History, Upper West Side Jewish Center website.
  16. ^ Yeshiva University Review, Winter 2005, pp. 38–39.
  17. ^ Wheatcroft (1996), p. 279.
  18. ^ Friedman (1990), p. 87.
  19. ^ West Side Jewish Center, Orthodox Union website, 2000.
  20. ^ Rabbi Richard Weiss, M.D., Rabbinical Council of America website, June 7, 2007.
  21. ^ a b Traiman (2007).
  22. ^ a b Herman (2007).
  23. ^ Nussbaum Cohen (2008).
  24. ^ Dunlap (2007).
  25. ^ Oswald (2016).
  26. ^ Maltz (2017).
  27. ^ Sales (2017).

References edit

  • American Hebrew and Jewish Messenger, American Hebrew Publishing Corporation, Volume 147, Issue 2, 1940.
  • American Jewish Committee. ""Directories"" (PDF). (6.06 MB), American Jewish Year Book, Jewish Publication Society, Volume 21 (1919–1920).
  • Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center website. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
    • History, Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center website, About Us. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
    • Rabbi's Page, Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center website. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  • Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship, Columbia University Press, 2004. ISBN 978-0-231-12542-0
  • Dunlap, David W. "Zombie Apocalypse on a Synagogue Wall", The New York Times, City Room, August 28, 2007.
  • Friedman, Robert I. The False Prophet: Rabbi Meir Kahane—From FBI Informant to Knesset Member, Lawrence Hill Books, 1990. ISBN 978-1-55652-078-5
  • Herman, Jason. "My Time in Jail", My Jewish Learning website, May 1, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  • Levitt, Ellen.Walking Manhattan: 30 Strolls Exploring Cultural Treasures, Entertainment Centers, and Historical Sites in the Heart of New York City, Wilderness Press, 2015. ISBN 978-0-89997-764-5
  • Malz, Judy. "This Blacklisted Orthodox Rabbi Was Barred From Vouching for a Jewish Bride – but Still Allowed to Officiate at Her Wedding", Haaretz, July 12, 2017.
  • The New York Times, no byline:
    • "Dr. Joseph Schick, Jewish Center Rabbi; Served West Side Organization for Twelve Years-Dies After Short Illness", The New York Times, March 18, 1938, p. 19.
    • "'Loss To Humanity' Seen; Free Sons of Israel Send Message to Bishop Donahue", The New York Times, February 13, 1939, p. 2.
    • "Jews At New Year, Study Role In War; 'Ideal College Girl'", The New York Times, September 15, 1939, p. 20.
    • "Galento and Baer to Fight May 28, as Scheduled.; Boxing Clan Is Sad At Jacobs's Death", The New York Times, April 26, 1940, Sports section p. 33.
    • "West Side Jewish Center Names Spiritual Leader", The New York Times, November 22, 1952, p. 14.
    • Deaths: Kahane, Rabbi Solomon", The New York Times, April 20, 2004.
  • Nussbaum Cohen, Debra. "Pressure Seen Mounting Against Kosher Meat Giant", The Jewish Week, May 28, 2008.
  • Oswald, John A. "Historic New York Shul Considers, Then Rejects, ‘SynaCondo’ Plan", The Forward, January 18, 2016.
  • Rosenstein, Neil. The Unbroken Chain: Biographical Sketches and the Genealogy of Illustrious Jewish Families from the 15th–20th Century, CIS Publishers, 1990. ISBN 978-0-9610578-4-8
  • Sales, Ben. "These rabbis have no idea why they’re on the Israeli Chief Rabbinate’s ‘blacklist’", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, July 13, 2017.
  • Traiman, Alex. , Arutz Sheva, Jewish Community Relations Council of Riverdale website, April 17, 2007.
  • West Side Jewish Center, Orthodox Union website, 2000. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  • Rabbi Richard Weiss, M.D. 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine, Rabbinical Council of America website, June 7, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  • Wheatcroft, Geoffrey. The Controversy of Zion: Jewish Nationalism, the Jewish State, and the Unresolved Jewish dilemma, Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1996. ISBN 978-0-201-56234-7
  • , Upper West Side Jewish Center website. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  • (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-02. (11.7 MB), Yeshiva University Review, Winter 2005.

External links edit

  • West Side Jewish Center website

December 04, 2023
congregation, beth, israel, west, side, jewish, center, confused, with, jewish, center, orthodox, synagogue, upper, west, side, manhattan, similarly, named, synagogues, beth, israel, congregation, beth, israel, west, side, jewish, center, hudson, yards, synago. Not to be confused with the Jewish Center an Orthodox synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan For similarly named synagogues see Beth Israel Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center Hudson Yards Synagogue is an Orthodox congregation located at 347 West 34th Street Manhattan New York in the Garment District 2 near Penn Station 3 Established in 1890 it constructed its current building in 1924 1925 3 Rabbis have included Joseph Schick 5 Norman Lamm 6 and Solomon Kahane 7 As of 2019 update the rabbi was Jason Herman 1 West Side Jewish CenterReligionAffiliationOrthodox JudaismLeadershipRabbi Jason Herman 1 StatusActiveLocationLocation347 West 34th Street Manhattan New York United States 2 Geographic coordinates40 45 11 N 73 59 43 W 40 75302 N 73 995388 W 40 75302 73 995388ArchitectureArchitect s Gronenberg amp Leuchtag 3 StyleNeoclassical 4 Groundbreaking1924 3 Completed1925 3 Websitewestsidejewishcenter wbr org Contents 1 Early history 2 1950s to 2000 3 Events since 2000 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksEarly history editCongregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center was established in 1890 8 by Orthodox German Jews and Jews from Austria Hungary 9 In its early years the congregation worshiped at 252 West 35th Street 9 10 a building later purchased by St Paul Baptist Church 3 In 1905 the congregation constructed a new synagogue building at 252 West 35th Street designed by architect John H Knubel 3 Its sanctuary sat 600 9 In 1924 it broke ground for its current three story building at 347 West 34th Street 3 The somber neoclassical building 4 designed by Gronenberg amp Leuchtag was completed in 1925 3 Dr Joseph Schick became rabbi in 1926 5 Born in onod in Austria Hungary in 1892 he served as a chaplain in the Austro Hungarian army during World War I and was the rabbi of Budapest s Beth Israel synagogue of 1918 to 1922 then emigrated to the United States His books The Kaddish Its Power for Good and Joseph s Harvest were published in 1928 and 1932 respectively 11 He served until his death in 1938 at age 49 5 Schick was succeeded in 1939 by Harry M Katzen 12 and then William Novack 13 and then in 1940 by Leo Ginsburg 14 1950s to 2000 editIn 1952 Norman Lamm later president of Yeshiva University for over 25 years was appointed to the role 6 He would serve until 1958 before moving to the unrelated Upper West Side Jewish Center 15 nbsp Billboard for the film Angels amp Demons on the side of the synagogue buildingSolomon Shlomo Kahane ordained in 1954 at Yeshiva University was subsequently rabbi of the congregation for 38 years and widely considered the synagogue s most prominent Rabbi He died in April 2004 7 16 He was a first cousin of Rabbi Meir Kahane the founder of the Jewish Defense League and the Israeli political party Kach The Jewish Defense League s first meeting was held at the West Side Jewish Center on June 18 1968 17 18 Events since 2000 editKahane was succeeded by Dr Richard Weiss 19 A licensed physician Rabbi Weiss subsequently became rabbi of Young Israel of Hillcrest in Queens 20 Jason Herman succeeded Weiss as the congregation s spiritual leader 21 22 Herman received a degree at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah He is the Executive Director of the International Rabbinic Fellowship serves as an officer of the New York Board of Rabbis and the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition is the founder of the Israel Academic Institute and is a past fellow at Rabbis Without Borders 1 Known for his activism he was one of 22 Rabbis arrested at the United Nations in 2007 after a protest demanding Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad be barred from speaking to the General Assembly 21 22 In 2008 he was one of a group of individuals who boycotted kosher meat from Agriprocessors over concerns that the company s practices were unethical 23 The synagogue was in the news in 2007 The congregation rents the entire side of its building for advertisements and parking and that year it was covered with a huge billboard for the film Resident Evil Extinction The image did not offend any members according to Herman and the congregation who mainly found out after the fact we re convinced that the additional income generated by the billboard helpful for maintaining the building 24 In 2015 the congregation began a multi year process with architect Esther Sperber to explore options for renovating the synagogue building At one point it considered a proposal to demolish the existing structure and replace it with a large multi story multi use synagogue and condominium However in 2016 Herman and the congregation president stated that the membership had quite overwhelmingly rejected any plans for demolition of our current synagogue building and any plan we might pursue will preserve our existing synagogue structure The president stated that congregation would instead probably renovate the existing structure so that it conformed with current building codes and develop the synagogue owned parking lot next to the building 25 A recent article written in the JTA detailed some of these plans as of 2019 Herman discovered in 2017 that his name had been added to a blacklist of 160 rabbis whose credentials were rejected for the purposes of certifying to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel that individuals in Israel claiming to be Jewish were in fact Jewish He surmised that it was because of a letter he had written in 2012 vouching for a non Orthodox Jewish woman Oddly after a different married rabbi vouched for the individual the Rabbinate allowed Herman to officiate at the wedding 26 27 In 2016 the synagogue began using the additional name Hudson Yards Synagogue Notes edit a b c Rabbi s Page Synagogue website a b Synagogue website a b c d e f g h i Dunlap 2004 p 23 a b Levitt 2015 p 124 a b c The New York Times March 18 1938 p 19 a b The New York Times November 22 1952 p 14 a b The New York Times April 20 2004 According to Dunlap 2004 p 23 and The American Hebrew Vol 47 Iss 2 states that the congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 25 1940 American Jewish Year Book Vol 21 p 460 gives the founding date as 1885 and History Synagogue website gives the founding date as Sometime in the mid 1880s a b c History Synagogue website American Jewish Year Book Vol 21 p 460 Rosenstein 1990 p 143 The New York Times February 13 1939 p 2 The New York Times September 15 1939 p 20 The New York Times April 26 1940 Sports section p 33 History Upper West Side Jewish Center website Yeshiva University Review Winter 2005 pp 38 39 Wheatcroft 1996 p 279 Friedman 1990 p 87 West Side Jewish Center Orthodox Union website 2000 Rabbi Richard Weiss M D Rabbinical Council of America website June 7 2007 a b Traiman 2007 a b Herman 2007 Nussbaum Cohen 2008 Dunlap 2007 Oswald 2016 Maltz 2017 Sales 2017 References editAmerican Hebrew and Jewish Messenger American Hebrew Publishing Corporation Volume 147 Issue 2 1940 American Jewish Committee Directories PDF 6 06 MB American Jewish Year Book Jewish Publication Society Volume 21 1919 1920 Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center website Retrieved October 17 2010 History Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center website About Us Retrieved October 17 2010 Rabbi s Page Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center website Retrieved April 11 2019 Dunlap David W From Abyssinian to Zion A Guide to Manhattan s Houses of Worship Columbia University Press 2004 ISBN 978 0 231 12542 0 Dunlap David W Zombie Apocalypse on a Synagogue Wall The New York Times City Room August 28 2007 Friedman Robert I The False Prophet Rabbi Meir Kahane From FBI Informant to Knesset Member Lawrence Hill Books 1990 ISBN 978 1 55652 078 5 Herman Jason My Time in Jail My Jewish Learning website May 1 2007 Retrieved April 11 2019 Levitt Ellen Walking Manhattan 30 Strolls Exploring Cultural Treasures Entertainment Centers and Historical Sites in the Heart of New York City Wilderness Press 2015 ISBN 978 0 89997 764 5 Malz Judy This Blacklisted Orthodox Rabbi Was Barred From Vouching for a Jewish Bride but Still Allowed to Officiate at Her Wedding Haaretz July 12 2017 The New York Times no byline Dr Joseph Schick Jewish Center Rabbi Served West Side Organization for Twelve Years Dies After Short Illness The New York Times March 18 1938 p 19 Loss To Humanity Seen Free Sons of Israel Send Message to Bishop Donahue The New York Times February 13 1939 p 2 Jews At New Year Study Role In War Ideal College Girl The New York Times September 15 1939 p 20 Galento and Baer to Fight May 28 as Scheduled Boxing Clan Is Sad At Jacobs s Death The New York Times April 26 1940 Sports section p 33 West Side Jewish Center Names Spiritual Leader The New York Times November 22 1952 p 14 Deaths Kahane Rabbi Solomon The New York Times April 20 2004 Nussbaum Cohen Debra Pressure Seen Mounting Against Kosher Meat Giant The Jewish Week May 28 2008 Oswald John A Historic New York Shul Considers Then Rejects SynaCondo Plan The Forward January 18 2016 Rosenstein Neil The Unbroken Chain Biographical Sketches and the Genealogy of Illustrious Jewish Families from the 15th 20th Century CIS Publishers 1990 ISBN 978 0 9610578 4 8 Sales Ben These rabbis have no idea why they re on the Israeli Chief Rabbinate s blacklist Jewish Telegraphic Agency July 13 2017 Traiman Alex 22 Jewish Leaders Arrested Calling for Removal of Iran at UN Arutz Sheva Jewish Community Relations Council of Riverdale website April 17 2007 West Side Jewish Center Orthodox Union website 2000 Retrieved October 17 2010 Rabbi Richard Weiss M D Archived 2011 07 26 at the Wayback Machine Rabbinical Council of America website June 7 2007 Retrieved October 17 2010 Wheatcroft Geoffrey The Controversy of Zion Jewish Nationalism the Jewish State and the Unresolved Jewish dilemma Addison Wesley Publishing 1996 ISBN 978 0 201 56234 7 History Upper West Side Jewish Center website Retrieved October 17 2010 Classnotes PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2006 09 02 11 7 MB Yeshiva University Review Winter 2005 External links editWest Side Jewish Center website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Congregation Beth Israel West Side Jewish Center amp oldid 1133687445, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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