Temple Beth El (Madison, Wisconsin)

Last updated

Temple Beth El
Temple Beth El (Madison, WI).jpg
Exterior of Temple Beth El
Religion
Affiliation Reform Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Synagogue
LeadershipRabbi Jonathan Biatch
StatusActive
Location
Location Madison, Wisconsin
CountryUnited States
USA Wisconsin relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Wisconsin
Geographic coordinates 43°03′23″N89°25′44″W / 43.0564°N 89.4288°W / 43.0564; -89.4288
Architecture
Date established1939 (as a congregation)
Completed1950
Website
templebethelmadison.org

Temple Beth El, also known as Temple Beth-El, is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Madison, Wisconsin, in the United States. The congregation was founded in 1939.

Contents

History

The synagogue's founding rabbi was Dr. Manfred Swarsensky. [1] He was a Holocaust survivor who emigrated from Berlin, Germany, to the United States in 1939, established the synagogue with 12 members, and was the rabbi of Temple Beth El for 36 years, until his retirement. [1] [2] [3] [4]

In 1950, when the synagogue had 150–200 families as members, it built the present synagogue building on land it had purchased on Arbor Drive, and dedicated the new building. [4] [5] By the end of Swarsensky's tenure, the synagogue had 400 families as members. [4] The synagogue after his death created in his honor an annual lectureship, known as the "Swarsensky Weekend". [3]

Sign located near the entrance of Temple Beth El TempleBethElSign.jpg
Sign located near the entrance of Temple Beth El

Rabbi Kenneth Roseman, who has a Ph.D. in Jewish history, was the rabbi of the synagogue following Swarsensky, from 1976 to 1985. [4] [6] [7] He was followed by Rabbi Jan Brahms, who served for nineteen years before deciding in 2004 to take a post at a smaller congregation in The Woodlands, Texas. Brahms was known for his interfaith activities and for his many columns on religious topics for The Capital Times newspaper. During Brahms' tenure the congregation grew from 480 families to about 700. [8] [9] After Brahms, Daryl Crystal served as rabbi on an interim basis until the current rabbi, Jonathan Biatch, took the position in 2005. [4] [10]

Lawrence Kohn served as Education Director for 35 years, starting in 1979. [4] [11] [12] Henry James Cargas was the first Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky Scholar at the synagogue, in 1982. [2]

In 2008, the Madison Jewish Community Day School opened in rented space at Temple Beth El. [13] Beginning in February 2014, the synagogue hosted Beth Israel Center’s after-school services while renovations were underway at Beth Israel for six months. [14] The synagogue had to postpone a planned group trip to Israel scheduled for August 2014 due to fighting in Israel. Rabbi Biatch said: "There's a great deal of disappointment. But there is optimism that we will go eventually." [15]

In 2014, the synagogue had 650 member families. [4] The congregation is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism. [16] Its members reflect Madison’s demographic as the seat of state and county government, home of the University of Wisconsin, and a regional center for medical care, scientific research, and business.

Notable members

Related Research Articles

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) or Young Israel, is a synagogue-based Orthodox Judaism organization in the United States with a network of affiliated "Young Israel" synagogues. Young Israel was founded in 1912, in its earliest form, by a group of 15 young Jews on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Their goal was to make Orthodox Judaism more relevant to young Americanized Jews at a time when a significant Jewish education was rare, and most Orthodox institutions were Yiddish-speaking and oriented to an older, European Jewish demographic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation Beth Elohim</span> Reform synagogue in Brooklyn, New York

Congregation Beth Elohim, also known as the Garfield Temple and the Eighth Avenue Temple, is a Reform Jewish congregation and historic synagogue located at 274 Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue, in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, New York, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid (Milwaukee)</span> United States historic place

Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid is an egalitarian Conservative synagogue located at 6880 North Green Bay Road in Glendale, a suburb north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States.

Congregation Beth Israel is an egalitarian Conservative synagogue located at 989 West 28th Avenue in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was founded in 1925, but did not formally incorporate until 1932. Its first rabbi was Ben Zion Bokser, hired that year. He was succeeded the following year by Samuel Cass (1933–1941). Other rabbis included David Kogen (1946–1955), Bert Woythaler (1956–1963), and Wilfred Solomon, who served for decades starting in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation Beth Israel (Scottsdale, Arizona)</span> Reform Jewish synagogue in Scottsdale, Arizona, US

Congregation Beth Israel is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 10460 North 56th Street in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the United States. Incorporated in 1920, the congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism in 1935.

Congregation Am Tikvah is a combined Conservative and Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 625 Brotherhood Way in San Francisco, California, in the United States. The congregation was formed in 2021 as the result of the merger of the Conservative B'nai Emunah and the Reform Beth Israel Judea congregations, with the latter formed in 1969 through a merger of the Conservative Congregation Beth Israel and the Reform Temple Judea. The congregation is affiliated with both the Union for Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple House of Israel</span> Jewish congregation in Staunton, Virginia, U. S.

Temple House of Israel is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 15 North Market Street, in Staunton, Virginia, in the United States. Founded in 1876 by Major Alexander Hart, it originally held services in members' homes, then moved to a building on Kalorama street in 1885, the year it joined the Union for Reform Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple Beth-El (Jersey City, New Jersey)</span> Reform Jewish synagogue in Jersey City, New Jersey, US

Temple Beth-El is a Reform Jewish synagogue located at 2419 Kennedy Boulevard in the Bergen Section of Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Sholom Congregation (Frederick, Maryland)</span> Conservative synagogue, in Frederick, Maryland, US

Beth Sholom Congregation is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 1011 North Market Street, in Frederick, Maryland, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anshei Sphard Beth El Emeth Congregation</span>

Anshei Sphard Beth El Emeth Congregation, abbreviated as ASBEE, was an Modern Orthodox synagogue located at 120 North East Yates Road, in East Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States. Established in 1966, with a history dating from 1861, the congregation operated for over 160 years prior to its 2023 merger with the Baron Hirsch Congregation.

Manfred Erich Swarsensky was a German-American rabbi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Jews in Houston</span>

The Jewish community of Houston, Texas has grown and thrived since the 1800s. As of 2008, Jews lived in many Houston neighborhoods and Meyerland is the center of the Jewish community in the area.

Congregation Kol Ami is a synagogue located in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. The synagogue serves both Reform and Conservative congregations that are respectively affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radlett Reform Synagogue</span> Reform synagogue in Hertfordshire, England

The Radlett Reform Synagogue is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue in Radlett, Hertfordshire, England, in the United Kingdom. Formed in 1971 as the Bushey Heath Reform Community, the congregation is a member of the Movement for Reform Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adath Shalom (Philadelphia)</span>

Adath Shalom was a Conservative synagogue located at 607 W Ritner Street, in the Whitman neighborhood of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The synagogue opened in 1922 and closed in 2007.

Hillel Norry is an American rabbi.

References

  1. 1 2 Cohen, Leon (October 30, 2009). "New book captures dramatic life of Madison's Rabbi Swarsensky". The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Cargas, Harry James (1989). Reflections of a Post-Auschwitz Christian . Wayne State University Press. p. 9. ISBN   0814320961. Temple Beth-El.
  3. 1 2 Zolot, Marvin (2009). Mensch: Biography and Writings of Manfred Eric Swarsensky. ISBN   978-1438975450.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kleinman, Lynne (February 28, 2014). "Madison and Waukesha shuls celebrating 75th anniversaries". The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle.
  5. ↑ Goodwin, George M. (September 1998). "Wright's Beth Sholom Synagogue". American Jewish History. 86 (3): 325–348. doi:10.1353/ajh.1998.0020. S2CID   162284622.
  6. ↑ Grant, Mary Lee (June 20, 2014). "Longtime rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel to retire". Corpus Christi Caller Times.
  7. ↑ Baird, Mike (May 16, 2007). "Local rabbi writes book on Texas' Jewish heritage". Corpus Christi Caller Times.
  8. ↑ Nowlen, Chuck (March 22, 2004). "Rabbi Put His Heart Into It: Temple Beth El's Brahms To Leave June 30". The Capital Times . Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  9. ↑ Waxman, Andrea (June 18, 2004). "Madison's Rabbi Brahms leaves Temple Beth El after 19 years". Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle . Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  10. ↑ Daglas, Cristina (July 11, 2005). "Taking The Reins At Beth El: Education Is Priority For New Rabbi". The Capital Times . Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ Kohn, Lawrence (Fall 2009). "Spectators to Civilization's Destruction". Jewish Political Studies Review. 21 (3–4): 216–223. JSTOR   25834863.
  12. 1 2 Hirsch, Deborah (December 28, 2010). "Gabe Carimi: Star in shul and on the football field". Jewish Journal.
  13. ↑ Cohen, Leon (August 7, 2008). "Madison launches Jewish day school". The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle.
  14. ↑ Erickson, Doug (February 23, 2014). "In the Spirit: Beth Israel Center to vacate premises for six months during renovation". Wisconsin State Journal.
  15. ↑ Gebelhoff, Robert (July 24, 2014). "Concerned about safety, local tourists cancel Israel trips". Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
  16. ↑ "Directory of Congregations: Temple Beth El". Union for Reform Judaism. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. ↑ Fryer, Bob (September 27, 2013). "'Jewish Hammer' on Bucs' offense". Heritage Florida Jewish News.
  18. ↑ Fine, Jeremy (May 3, 2011). "The Bear Jew: Gabe Carimi". Jewish Journal.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.