Congregation Anshai Emeth

Last updated

Congregation Anshai Emeth
Anshai Emeth Peoria 20231117 0001.jpg
Sign, with synagogue in the background
Religion
Affiliation Reform Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational status Synagogue
LeadershipRabbi Bryna Milkow
StatusActive
Location
Location5614 North University Street, Peoria, Illinois 61614
CountryUnited States
USA Illinois relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Illinois
Geographic coordinates 40°45′22.5″N89°36′40.4″W / 40.756250°N 89.611222°W / 40.756250; -89.611222
Architecture
Architect(s) Gyo Obata (1967)
TypeSynagogue
Style Modernist
Date established1859 (as a congregation)
Completed
  • 1863 (Fulton St.)
  • 1880 (Fulton St.)
  • 1898 (Monroe St.)
  • 1967 (N. University St.)
Direction of façadeSouth
Website
anshaiemeth.org

Congregation Anshai Emeth (transliterated from Hebrew as "People of Truth"<re>Gilliland Wright, Mae (n.d.). "SACRED CONNECTIONS IN ART AND FAITH". Peoria Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2024.) is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 5614 North University Street, in Peoria, Illinois, in the United States. Established in 1859, the synagogue is the second oldest Jewish congregation in Illinois, and as of 2019 has the largest membership of any Jewish congregation in Peoria.

Contents

Rabbi Bryna Milkow has served as the rabbi of the congregation since July 2017.

History

Early days

In about 1847, Anshai Emeth was founded when several Jewish families, immigrants from Western Europe affiliated with the Reform movement, came together to establish an organized religious community in the Peoria area. At first they gathered in either members houses or various buildings around Peoria. Later, services were held in various places such as Washington House on North Washington Street. [1]

Religious classes were organized in 1852. [1] The congregation also purchased land for a cemetery in 1852. [1] In 1859, Max Newman collected $3,000 toward a Jewish house of worship in Peoria. [2]

On May 2, 1863 they purchased a former Presbyterian church as the first synagogue in Peoria on Fulton, between Adams and Jefferson. [3] [1] [2] The congregation had about 34 members in 1863. [1] [2]

Beth Israel

On October 2, 1874, new Jewish immigrants from Russia, Poland and Hungary affiliated with the Orthodox movement left Anshai Emeth to found their own congregation, named Beth Israel. They purchased the church on Seventh Street near Franklin, originally the Central Christian Church built in 1855. [3] After years of tensions between the two synagogues, in 1886 the two were united again, with Beth Israel selling their building and turning over their accounts to Anshai Emeth. Members of the community who did not wish to join the Reform congregation continued to hold services on their own where they could. That community would later create Congregation Agudas Achim, at first affiliated with the Orthodox movement. [4]

Temple built in 1898 at 521 NE Monroe St, now the Christian Assembly Church Christian Assembly Church Peoria 20231115 0005.jpg
Temple built in 1898 at 521 NE Monroe St, now the Christian Assembly Church

New temples in 1880 and 1898

The congregation constructed a new temple on Fulton in 1880. [2] Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, founder of American Reform Judaism, attended the dedication. [2] In 1896, the temple on Fulton was destroyed by fire. [1] [3] [2] [5] A new temple was erected on the corner of Monroe and Hancock. [3] Erected in 1898 of Lake Superior sandstone, the cornerstone was laid on March 2, 1898 and was dedicated on September 9, 1898; Rabbi Wise attended the dedication. [1] [2] [6] This Gothic Revival style temple served the congregation until 1967. [3] [7] The Fulton building was sold to the Christian Assembly Church. [3]

1958 bombing

On October 14, 1958, a crude pipe bomb exploded in the stairwell of the rear annex and shafted a basement door and a dozen windows. [8] [9] [10] An identical, unexploded pipe bomb had been found 16 months earlier at the Agudas Achim synagogue's construction site, at the corner of War Memorial and Sheridan. [8] [11] [12] [13] Police chief Bernard Kennedy dismissed anti-Semitism as the motive, citing "mental derangement" instead. [8] [14] Rabbi Joseph L. Ginsberg stated he believed it had some connection to a bombing of an Atlanta synagogue days earlier. [14] [15] FBI special agent Robert D. Gibbons of the Springfield, Illinois office investigated. [11] President Eisenhower commented that the bombing was "a shocking and deplorable thing." [8] There were approximately 700 members in October 1958. [14] As of December 1958, the crime was still unsolved. [16]

New temple in 1967

Temple at 5614 N. University St. Anshai Emeth Peoria 20231117 0007.jpg
Temple at 5614 N. University St.

A new synagogue, designed by Gyo Obata in the Modernist style, was dedicated on September 8, 1967. [1] [2] [17]

The Peoria Hebrew Day School, a private Jewish school, was established in 1971 and is housed in the lower half the building. [18] It is the only Jewish Day School in downstate Illinois. [19]

As of 1994, Congregation Agudas Achim, the Peoria traditional Jewish congregation, was invited to move into the building housing Anshai Emeth as well. [20] On January 1, 2005, the two congregations finalized a sharing agreement. [13] The old library was converted into a chapel with a new Ark, and a storage closet converted to a kosher kitchen. [13]

Sesquicentennial

The congregation celebrated 150 years in 2008 with events like a live auction, performance by Debbie Friedman, appearances by Rabbi Eric Yoffie and Rabbi Dan Rabishaw, and a large banquet. [17] In 2010, Anshai Emeth was the only synagogue at the sesquicentennial house of worship event hosted by the state historical society in Wheaton, Illinois. [21] [22]

In May 2020, a dozen windows were smashed at the temple with bricks or rocks, causing an estimated $11,000 in damage to the Peoria Hebrew School section of the building. [23] [24] [25] [26] Anshai Emeth president Steven Marx said it was just vandalism and not likely an anti-Semitic act. [23] As of October 2023, the temple had increased security measures such as surveillance cameras and bulletproof windows. [27]

Notable members

See also

Related Research Articles

The history of Jews in Ohio dates back to 1817, when Joseph Jonas, a pioneer, came from England and made his home in Cincinnati. He drew after him a number of English Jews, who held Orthodox-style divine service for the first time in Ohio in 1819, and, as the community grew, organized themselves in 1824 into the first Jewish congregation of the Ohio Valley, the B'ne Israel. This English immigration was followed in the next two decades by the coming of German immigrants who, in contrast, were mostly Reform Jews. A Bavarian, Simson Thorman, settled in 1837 in Cleveland, then a considerable town, which thus became the second place in the state where Jews settled. Thorman was soon followed by countrymen of his, who in 1839 organized themselves into a congregation called the Israelitish Society. The same decade saw an influx of German Jews into Cincinnati, and these in 1841 founded the Bene Yeshurun congregation. To these two communities the Jewish history of Ohio was confined for the first half of the 19th century. In 1850 Ohio had six congregations: four in Cincinnati and two in Cleveland.

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

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, in the United States.

The Park Synagogue is a Conservative synagogue located at 27500 Shaker Boulevard, Pepper Pike, Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States.

Beth Israel Congregation is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 5315 Old Canton Road in Jackson, Mississippi, in the United States. Organized in 1860 by Jews of German background, it is the only Jewish synagogue in Jackson. Beth Israel built the first synagogue in Mississippi in 1867, and, after it burned down, its 1874 replacement was at one time the oldest religious building in Jackson.

Temple Shalom is a Reform Jewish synagogue located at 23 Bethany Pike, Wheeling, West Virginia, in the United States. The congregation dates from 1849, with the current synagogue building completed in 1957, as the Woodside Temple.

<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">Congregation Agudas Achim (Livingston Manor, New York)</span> Reform synagogue in New York (state), US

Agudas Achim Synagogue, formally known as Congregation Agudas Achim, is a Reform Jewish synagogue located on Rock Avenue in Livingston Manor, Sullivan County, New York, in the United States. The stucco-sided wooden building was erected in the 1920s to serve the growing Jewish community in that area of the Catskills. It served the large summer population of Jews from the New York City area who vacationed at family resorts in the region.

Congregation Beth Emeth is a Reform Jewish synagogue located at 100 Academy Road, in Albany, Albany County, New York, in the United States. Established in 1885, it is the fourth oldest Reform congregation in the United States.

Makom Solel Lakeside is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 1301 Clavey Road, in Highland Park, on the North Shore of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The congregation traces its roots through the Lakeside Congregation for Reform Judaism, formed in 1955, and Congregation Solel, formed in 1957. The two Reform congregations merged in 2019 and currently serve more than 500 households.

Agudas Achim Congregation is an egalitarian Conservative synagogue located at 2908 Valley Drive, Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States. The synagogue was founded in 1914, and its cemetery was founded in 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation M'kor Shalom</span> Former Reform Jewish synagogue in New Jersey, US

Congregation M'kor Shalom was a Reform Jewish synagogue located at 850 Evesham Road, Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States.

Congregation Or Chadash was a Reform Jewish LGBT-oriented congregation that was located at 5959 North Sheridan Road, Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freehold Jewish Center</span>

The Freehold Jewish Center, also referred to as "Congregation Agudath Achim", is an unaffiliated Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Freehold, New Jersey, in the United States. The congregation was founded in 1911 and it completed its first synagogue building by 1916, and its current building in 1957, with an additions to the current building completed in 1973.

Agudas Achim or Agudath Achim is the name of several synagogues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation Shaare Emeth</span> Reform synagogue in Creve Coeur, Missouri, United Stares

Congregation Shaare Emeth is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 11645 Ladue Road, in Creve Coeur, St. Louis County, Missouri, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society Hill Synagogue</span> Synagogue in Philadelphia, PA

Society Hill Synagogue is a synagogue located in the Society Hill section of Center City, Philadelphia. The synagogue is home to a 300-household congregation with Shabbat and holiday services, a Playschool for children 18 months to 5 years old, a Hebrew School for pre-kindergartners through high school students, adult education, social and communal activities, impactful social action, and engaging intergenerational programs.

Beth El Hebrew Congregation is a Reform Jewish synagogue located in Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States. Established on September 4, 1859, it is oldest active congregation in the Northern Virginia region.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Anshai Emeth History". Congregation Anshai Emeth. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Anshai Emeth". Peoria Journal Star. October 11, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Community – Bradley University Hillel | Your Jewish Connection at Bradley University" . Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ David McCulloch History of Peoria County, Bell & Howell Company, 1902. pp. 337-338.
  5. ↑ "To Rebuild Hebrew Church at Peoria". Chicago Tribune. January 11, 1896. p. 3.
  6. ↑ "no title". Lake County Independent. March 11, 1898. p. 3.
  7. ↑ Gordon, Mark W. (1986). "Rediscovering Jewish Infrastructure: The Legacy of U.S. 19th Century Synagogues". American Jewish History. 75 (3): 296–306. ISSN   0164-0178.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Peoria Police, FBI Without Clues in Synagogue Bombing". Streator Daily Times-Press. October 15, 1958. p. 1.
  9. ↑ "October 24, 1958 - Image 32". The Detroit Jewish News Digital Archives. October 24, 1958. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  10. ↑ Hearings. United States Congress House Committee on the Judiciary. 1959. p. 188 – via Google Books.
  11. 1 2 "Bomb Explodes in Peoria Synagogue Building; Damage is Slight". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. October 15, 1958. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Probing Peoria Blast". The Dispatch. October 14, 1958. p. 1.
  13. 1 2 3 "Our History". Congregation Agudas Achim. Peoria, IL. January 16, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2023.[ self-published source? ]
  14. 1 2 3 "Peoria Blast". Chicago Tribune. October 16, 1958. p. 33.
  15. ↑ Kellman, George (1959). "Anti-Jewish Agitation". The American Jewish Year Book. 60: 44–52. ISSN   0065-8987.
  16. ↑ "Peoria Rabbi Speaker at Dedication Dinner". The Decatur Daily Review. December 6, 1958. p. 2.
  17. 1 2 Ori, Ryan (October 11, 2008). "150 years of 'truth'". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  18. ↑ "About Us on". peoriahebrewdayschool.org. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  19. ↑ "About PHDS". Peoria Hebrew. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Our History on". agudasachim.wordpress.com. Retrieved November 1, 2019.[ self-published source? ]
  21. ↑ Adams, Pam (July 5, 2010). "Heartland: Area churches honored for 150 years or more of existence". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Sesquicentennial Houses of Worship Award". www.historyillinois.org. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Several windows smashed at Reform synagogue in Peoria, Illinois". The Times of Israel. May 25, 2020.
  24. ↑ Sheehan, Matt (May 21, 2020). "Jewish Synagogue vandalized, dozen of windows broken". CIProud.com. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  25. ↑ Holt, Faygie Levy (May 23, 2020). "Synagogue Windows Shattered in Peoria, Illinois" . Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  26. ↑ Vlahos, Nick (May 21, 2020). "Alleged vandals damage building that houses Peoria Jewish congregations". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  27. ↑ Porter, Madison (October 13, 2023). "'Your Jewish friends are not okay': Local synagogues are increasing security". 25 News Now. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  28. ↑ Horowitz, Daniel (2000). Betty Friedan And the Making of 'The Feminine Mystique' The American Left, the Cold War, and Modern Feminism. University of Massachusetts Press. p. 19.
  29. ↑ Anshai Emeth Directory: 1976-1977. Peoria, IL: Congregation Anshai Emeth.[ self-published source? ]
  30. ↑ "Obituary for Eleanor Newman Goodman on". dignitymemeorial.com.
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.