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Congregation Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom (also known as "Congregation Beth Jacob Ohev Shalom")〔 ("House of Jacob Lover of Peace") is an Orthodox synagogue located at 284 Rodney Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.〔 It is the oldest Orthodox congregation on Long Island (including Brooklyn and Queens), and one of the last remaining non-Hasidic Jewish institutions in Williamsburg.〔 The congregation was formed in 1869 by German Jews as an Orthodox breakaway from an existing Reform congregation.〔 It constructed its first building on Keap Street in 1870.〔 In 1904 it merged with Chevra Ansche Sholom, and took the name Congregation Beth Jacob Anshe Sholom. The following year it constructed a new building at 274–276 South Third Street, designed by George F. Pelham.〔 The congregation's building was expropriated and demolished to make way for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in the 1950s.〔 It combined with another congregation in a similar situation, and, as Congregation Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, constructed a new building at 284 Rodney Street, just south of Broadway, in 1957.〔 Joshua Fishman became rabbi in 1971. With changing demographics, attendance at services, which had been 700 in the 1970s, fell to two dozen by 2010.〔 ==Early history== The congregation was founded as Beth Jacob in 1869,〔According to Geberer (2010), ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (September 27, 1891), p. 19, and Abelow (1948), p. 196, which says it "dates back to October 1, 1869, when the certificate of incorporation of Beth Jacob was obtained, approved October 13, 1869 by Justice Gilbert of the Supreme Court". According to Abelow (1937), p. 53, it was founded in 1864. According to the ''American Jewish Year Book'' (1899–1900), p. 184, it was founded in 1871.〕 by more traditional members of an existing Reform German Jewish synagogue,〔Geberer (2010).〕 the Keap Street Temple.〔Abelow (1937), p. 53.〕 They objected to the installation and use of a pipe organ to accompany Yom Kippur services, which was forbidden by ''halakha'' (Jewish law), and seceded and created their own congregation.〔 The new congregation was formally incorporated on October 1 of that year,〔Abelow (1948), p. 196.〕 and first worshiped in a house.〔〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (September 27, 1891), p. 19.〕 In 1870, Beth Jacob purchased a by lot at what is now 326 Keap Street (than Tenth Street) for $150 (today $) in cash and a mortgage of $1,050 (today $), and constructed a building there,〔 at a cost of around $6,000 (today $).〔 Men and women sat separately, and the sanctuary had seating for 164 men on the main floor and 135 women in the gallery. Services were generally held only on ''Shabbat'' and the Jewish holidays.〔 The first spiritual leader was Rabbi Dresser, and he was succeeded by Lewis Lewinski (or Levinsky).〔〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (January 10, 1887), p. 4.〕 In its early years, the congregation's financial situation was precarious. The building was located ten blocks from where most of the congregants and potential congregants lived (on Grand Street, near the ferry docks), and attendance was low. Even on the High Holy Days, the sanctuary was rarely more than half full. The synagogue employed a rabbi, ''gabbai'', and cantor, and annual expenses often exceeded the congregation's income (which came primarily from the sale of seats). To remain solvent, the congregation borrowed money against the equity in the building: $2,000 (today $) in 1888, and another $2,000 in 1894.〔 The congregation was also marked by public controversies and factionalism. In January 1887, during a heated discussion at a congregational business meeting, one member addressed two others with the informal German "du" (rather than the formal "Sie"), which was considered impolite. Despite attempts by then-rabbi Lewinksi to intervene, the two men beat the first, knocked him to the ground, and "trampled upon" him.〔 The two men were subsequently charged with "assault in the third degree".〔 Lewinski was succeeded that year as rabbi by Hyman Rosenberg, and in October of the same year a new secretary was elected, in a close-fought battle between two factions. When it was time for the former secretary to hand over the financial books, a member, Simon Freudenthal, was alleged to have grabbed them, jumped out a window, and ran away with them. When he returned, he refused to say why he took them, and insisted he would keep them. A warrant was issued for his arrest on the charge of larceny, and he was released on bail.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (October 18, 1887), p. 6.〕 Ten days later the synagogue president, American Civil War veteran Colonel Solomon Monday,〔Abelow (1948), p. 233.〕 was arrested and charged in turn with libel, for allegedly claiming that Freudenthal stole "sacred books".〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (October 28, 1887), p. 6.〕 Monday, in turn, had Freudenthal charged in November with stealing $8 (today $) worth of "sacred books" during "divine service".〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (November 16, 1887), p. 4.〕 Later that month both cases were dismissed.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (November 28, 1887), p. 3.〕 In early 1888, another case was brought, and dismissed, over attempts by one faction to expel members of the other faction.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (March 8, 1888), p. 6.〕〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (March 14, 1888), p. 2.〕 In December 1892, the congregation expelled Rosenberg, charging him with eating a piece of pork, which is not kosher. To augment his salary of $400 (today $) a year from Beth Jacob, Rosenberg also worked as an agent for a cigar company. While visiting a customer at a bar, he was alleged to have eaten the pork while partaking of some of the free lunch provided there.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (December 16, 1892), p. 1.〕〔''The New York Times'' (April 19, 1893), p. 1.〕 Rosenberg initially said that while he had drunk a great deal, he had not eaten anything at all,〔 and subsequently stated that he was sure he had not eaten pork, because the bar-keep had sworn in affidavit that there was none in the lunch provided that day.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (December 17, 1892), p. 10.〕 Rosenberg later averred consistently that if he had eaten any pork, it was inadvertently.〔 He also alleged hypocrisy on the part of the members, stating "They are all reformed Jews in private, although orthodox Jews in public."〔 The rabbi's defenders strongly objected to the decision. His primary supporter, synagogue vice president Louis Jackson, who had broken the story to the press, described the congregation as a "collection of jackasses", with the "chief jackass" being the president Louis Schwartz, who Jackson accused of eating ham himself, and of stealing from the synagogue's charity boxes.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (January 12, 1893), p. 5.〕 Jackson was expelled from the congregation,〔 and subsequently convicted of libel and fined $100 (today $) for making the accusations, while Rosenberg sued the synagogue for his salary.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (February 3, 1893), p. 10.〕 Rosenberg died of pneumonia in April 1893, at the age of 43, his "health and spirits", according to a contemporary ''New York Times'' report, "broken" by the expulsion. At the funeral, Jackson berated the congregation's members, who, he charged, had "hounded, hunted, driven () to a grave of misery", and allegedly threatened to kill one of them with a stone taken from the newly dug grave.〔 Charges were again brought against Jackson, but this time were dismissed, with the Justice stating "it looks as if it were an even thing all around."〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (May 25, 1893), p. 12.〕 A month later, Beth Jacob hired Abraham Salbaum as rabbi.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (May 9, 1893), p. 10. The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (September 5, 1894), p. 2, gives his name as "S. Baum".〕 The following year, the synagogue's two-story frame synagogue building at 326 Keap Street, valued at $2,000 (today $), was struck by lighting and almost completely destroyed.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (July 15, 1894), p. 1.〕 The congregation decided to rebuild at the same location.〔''Brooklyn Eagle'' (September 5, 1894), p. 2.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Congregation Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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